


After Hours

by slugworthingtonjr



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Blow Jobs, Bottom Eren Yeager, Coffee Shop, Dominant Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Drinking Beer, Eventual Smut, Flirting, Hanji manager, I have no idea what I'm doing but I keep typing, Levi and Eren are coworkers, Levi is kinda metal but also a softie, Levi swears a lot, Levi with a lip ring, Light BDSM, M/M, Making Out, Minor Violence, Scars, Shop owner Erwin, Singer Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Slightly Awkward Eren, Submissive Eren Yeager, Top Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Unofficial manager Levi, allusions to past abuse, handjobs, slightly angry Levi, slow burn?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2018-10-15 02:14:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 129,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10548320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slugworthingtonjr/pseuds/slugworthingtonjr
Summary: Levi and Eren work at the same coffee shop. They've been closing together five nights a week for the past six months. They work comfortably with each other, but a silent tension has been growing between them and they finally face it one night when they stay at the shop after hours.





	1. Surrounded by Heathens

"Fucking finally." Levi grumbled to himself as the last customer exited the shop. He locked the door and pulled the chain so the 'open' sign switched to 'closed'. He walked back to the counter where his coworker Eren stood. 

"So what do you want to do tonight? Bathrooms and lobby? Or dishes and kitchen?" Levi's arms were folded across his chest and he shook a strand of raven black hair out of his eyes. He bit lightly at the silver hoop that ran through the left side of his bottom lip. It was a subconscious habit of his, and Eren couldn't help but stare when he did it.

“Oi, brat.”

Eren flicked his eyes back up to meet Levi's. "Umm...I'm gonna go with the third option." he replied with a smirk.

Levi cocked an eyebrow, "And what would that be?"

"Throw all the dirty dishes in the dumpster out back and pretend we don't know what happened to them." Eren eagerly awaited Levi's response to his brilliant idea.

"Ha fucking ha. Alright, you're doing kitchen, I'll do lobby." Levi turned and started walking to the back of the shop where the mop room was. 

"I thought it was funny." Eren muttered under his breath, then got to work wiping down all the counter tops and gathering stray dishes to take to the sinks. 

The shop speakers emitted a loud buzzing noise as Levi switched the music from indie to overly aggressive metal. He cranked the volume, then sighed. He usually had a lot of pent up anger by the end of a shift and the metal really helped him relax. He'd been working at this coffee shop for longer than he cared to think about, and what little patience he'd had when he'd started was all but gone at this point. Armored with gloves up to his elbows, and a bottle of cleaner held in each hand like a weapon he yelled to Eren over the music, "I'm going in!" and then disappeared into one of the bathrooms.

"Good luck!" Eren shouted back. He was crouched restocking the milk fridge. 

The shop, Rose Cafe, was one of the few coffee shops in Shiganshina to be open until midnight. Levi had been there for five years now and had become something of an unofficial manager. Unofficial because he technically didn't hold the title, Hanji did. But everyone followed Levi's instruction over Hanji's since she was a little...scatter brained. Erwin, the owner, only popped in every couple of months. He owned several businesses around the city and spent most of his time at his upscale Japanese restaurant called Sina. So, basically, Levi was the glue that held Rose Cafe together. Eren on the other hand had been hired six months ago, after Hanji got Levi's approval of course. His exact words had been, “He seems like kind of a brat, but, eh, he can't be worse than Sasha. I say give him a shot.”

After about ten minutes Levi emerged from the bathroom with a disgusted look on his face and stalked over to Eren, who was now wiping down the coffee grinder. He was holding his still gloved hands as far away from his body as possible.

"What the fuck is wrong with people?" The raven haired man seemed to be genuinely baffled. 

"What happened in there? You look like you've been to war." Eren smiled at Levi.

"Pubes. I found pubes on the back of the toilet. Not the seat part, the water tank. Clear up on the water tank." Eren was trying not to laugh at the look on his coworker's face as he ranted on. "How in god's name did they get back there? There's no way, unless someone actually plucked their pubes out and sprinkled them on the back of the tank."

“Ew.” Said Eren making a face.

“Yeah. Ew.” Then Levi huffed away into the other bathroom.

The night progressed as usual. The two of them had been closing together since Eren had been hired, and they got into a comfortable rhythm. Barely having to speak as they moved around each other flawlessly. Levi swept and mopped the lobby while Eren hand washed a mountain of ceramic mugs and saucers. Intermittently Eren would hear Levi's perturbed voice from the lobby, and although he couldn't make out the exact words over the music, he'd chuckle because he could imagine what they were.

The minutes ticked by and eventually Levi wheeled the mop bucket into the mop room and dumped the dirty gray water down the drain. He stood in the doorway to the kitchen, his hands braced on either side of the door frame, and watched Eren lost in the concentration of scrubbing each dish clean.

“Looks like it was a good idea to hire you after-all. You know how to clean a dish.”

Eren jumped and the saucer he was holding slipped from his hands and shattered on the floor. “Shit. Fuck Levi, you scared the shit out of me.” 

“Damnit Jaeger, I just cleaned that floor.”

The brunette looked down at the shards of white ceramic at his feet and said, “Oh, sorry.”

“It's fine.” Levi rolled his eyes, grabbed the broom, and swept the kitchen floor a second time. 

Other than the maroon apron they both wore, there was no dress code at Rose Cafe. Eren appreciated that fact as he watched the lean muscles of Levi's arms flex as he moved the broom. Tonight the older man was wearing black skinny jeans, a ribbed black tank top, and black combat boots that laced up the front and zipped down the sides. Black was obviously his favorite color to wear, and who could blame him, he looked absolutely delectable in it. Or so Eren thought. Wait what? Eren shook his head at the train of thought his brain was following.

Levi could feel Eren's eyes on him so he looked up through a curtain of hair and said, “Don't you have more dishes to wash?”

A bead of sweat trickled out of Levi's hair and down his neck, Eren's eyes followed it before he blinked and said, “Right, sorry, just zoned out a little.” Then he turned back to the sink and plunged his hands into the soapy water. An indiscernible expression crossed Levi's face.

Soon the floor was clean again and the broom was put away. “I'm all done with my shit, so I'm going to go count down the register alright.”  
Eren responded with a simple, “Okay.” without turning around. Levi disappeared behind a swinging door that led to the register. The brunette continued to work on the dishes in silence until his fingertips brushed something squishy and he let out an embarrassing scream. A moment later, Levi burst through the swinging door, his brow creased with concern.

“What happened? Are you okay? Did you cut yourself?” The questions shot out of Levi's mouth rapid fire.

“No no, I'm fine.” Eren rushed to quell Levi's worry, a light dusting of pink surfaced on his cheeks.

“Well then what are you screaming about?” Levi looked a little annoyed. 

“Um...this.” Eren held up a plate that had green gum strung across it. 

Levi sighed and said, “Gross. We are surrounded by heathens.” Then he pushed back through the swinging door.

Even though he was currently scraping someone's gum off of a plate, Eren smiled to himself. Levi had been worried, had rushed back to see if he was okay. What a softie. 

Once the dishes were all dried and put away, Eren wiped his hands on his apron, then joined his unofficial boss at the register. Levi was in the middle of counting a pile of dimes, his lips quietly whispering the numbers. A wicked grin spread across Eren's face and he started throwing out random numbers, “Nineteen. Twenty-eight. Sixty-one.”

Levi whipped his head to Eren and growled, “Shut it brat.” But the corners of his mouth betrayed him by curving slightly upward. Eren did stop though. 

Levi finished with the dimes, scribbled something on a piece of paper, and before moving to the nickels he casually said, “You can put on something else if you want. I'm not angry anymore.”

“I don't get that.” was the brunette's response.

“Get what?”

“How can this music calm you down? It's like pure rage with all the drums and the screaming...shouldn't it make you angrier?” Eren wasn't trying to insult Levi's taste in music, his question was genuine.

Levi looked at the ground in thought for a moment and then answered. “Well...it's like the musicians are already expressing their own anger and so I just kind of...give them mine to express for me.” He seemed a little uncomfortable explaining himself.

Neither of them spoke for a moment, and then Eren dared ask, “Why are you always so angry anyway?”

“Why are you so fucking nosy?” Levi immediately snapped back.

Eren held up his hands and took a step back, “Yeesh, sorry, pretend I didn't ask.” He turned his back to Levi, and headed into the back toward the stereo.

Levi just scowled at the nickels and started counting them.

After a couple minutes the metal cut out and was replaced by Chet Baker's soothing voice. Eren cautiously returned to Levi's vicinity. The scowl was no longer on the older man's face, he finished counting the pennies and scribbled on the paper again. Without looking up he said, “You chose this?”

Eren blushed and looked at his feet, “Yeah...do you not like it? I can turn it off.”

“No.” Levi was now shoveling all the change into a blue money bag next to all the bills he'd already counted. “I love Chet Baker. I'm just surprised that you listen to this kind of music, that's all.”

“You. Are surprised that I listen to this?” The words 'you' and 'I' were emphasized. “Says the metalhead with the lip ring.”

Now that Levi was finished with his task he turned to Eren, rolled his eyes, and said, “I'm not a metalhead. I only listen to it when I'm angry. And just because I have a lip ring doesn't mean I'm uncultured.”

“Ok.” Eren just smiled. 

They were walking together now to the safe where Levi locked away the money.

“Ready to go?” Eren asked as he started gathering his jacket and bag.

“Nah. I'm gonna hang out for a bit.” 

Sometimes when they were all finished closing Levi would stay behind and Eren would walk home wondering what in the hell Levi was staying for. He couldn't take it anymore, he had to know why.

“How come you stay here sometimes? Aren't you like sick of being here after eight hours?”

“Well...if you must know,” Levi began, “I like to relax with a few beers after a long day. And seeing as it is now past one in the morning, no one is selling anymore. Lucky for me, Rose Cafe happens to sell beer, so I have unrestricted access to an entire fridge full of beer if I stay here.”

“Oh.” Eren looked a little uneasy.

“Tsh, relax kid. Hanji and Erwin both know, and they're cool with it. I'm not doing anything shady.” Levi's arms were crossed over his chest again.

“Oh no, I didn't think you were.” Eren was embarrassed for maybe, possibly thinking Levi was being dishonest. 

“Right.” 

“Well, anyway, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Enjoy your beer.” Eren adjusted his backpack and opened the back door to leave. He took a step outside and then…

“Hey, Eren.”

“Yeah?” he looked over his shoulder and met those piercing gray eyes that he sometimes avoided because they were too intense. 

“You can stay. If you want. Have a couple beers with me.” Was it even possible for Levi to look bashful?

“Really?” Eren was trying to suppress the stupid grin that threatened to take over his face.

“Yeah, really.”

“Can we keep Chet Baker on?” the smile was out of control and growing now.

“I wasn't planning on changing it.” Levi looked away.

“Okay, yeah. I'll stay.” Eren closed the backdoor and rehung his jacket and backpack.

“For Chet Baker?” Levi raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah, for Chet Baker.” Eren lied.


	2. King Me Bitch

With the exception of some low hanging amber lamps, all the lights in the shop were off. Levi had said that he always turned the fluorescent lights off when he stayed after because it felt like they were “sucking his soul out”. The shop seemed like an entirely different place with this unusual lighting, the lack of customers, and the quiet jazz that serenaded them. Eren could see how his coworker felt comfortable here now even after working all day, he just changed the environment. 

The two of them sat next to each other at the bar like customers, each with a bottle of stout. The air was a little stiff between them and Eren broke the silence.

“So...other than drink beer, what do you do when you're here?” he was running his finger around the lip of his bottle.

Levi hummed, then said, “Draw mostly. Sometimes read.”

“Ooo, can I see what you draw?” Eren had a sparkle in his emerald eyes.

Levi met that sparkle with a long serious look and then said, “No.”

“Awww, laaaame.” Eren whined.

Levi swallowed the last of his beer and then said in a serious tone, “You're lame.”

There was silence between them and then Eren snorted in laughter. Levi stared at the counter in front of him, his lips curving into a hidden smile.  
“I'm gonna grab another beer. You want one?” 

“Uh, yeah. Something different though. The stout is good, but it's too heavy to have more than one.” Eren gulped the remainder of his beer and set the bottle back on the granite bar. 

“Precisely what I was thinking.” Levi disappeared for a moment and then returned with two more opened bottles. “Here.” He slid one in front of Eren.

“Thanks.” he said and took a sip.

Silence fell over them like a blanket again, and they avoided looking at each other. The soft music somehow made things simultaneously more and less awkward. 

Eren audibly swallowed and then offered, “We could play one of the games on the shelf if you want?”

“Uh, yeah, sure.” Levi didn't seem like his usual decisive self. Clearly he wasn't used to sharing his wind-down time with anyone else. 

They carried their beers to the large bookshelf that sat near the couches at the back of the shop. It was hands down the coziest place in the building. Tucked away in the furthest corner with it's own stained glass lamp on an end table. The games were on the lowest level of the bookshelf, so the two men crouched next to each other and eyeballed them.

“How 'bout some classic checkers?” Eren wiggled his eyebrows at Levi.

“Alright, but I haven't played in a long time, so you're going to have to remind me how to play.”

“Seriously? It's just checkers.” Eren scoffed.

“Well excuse me for not being in the habit of playing two-player games by myself.” Levi seemed mildly offended and took a long swig of his beer. 

Eren looked at the man next to him and couldn't help but wonder if Levi had many friends. He also couldn't help but feel honored that Levi actually wanted to hang out with him. The short, dark-haired barista had been an endless source of fascination for Eren from the start. The way he effortlessly poured beautiful latte art, his terse attitude with customers, the unfair way that he was faster and better than any other employee at basically everything, his dark sense of humor that a lot of people seemed to miss. Eren definitely found Levi intimidating, but the intrigue he felt overpowered the intimidation.

“Okay, so here's how you play...”Eren proceeded to explain the rules of checkers to Levi while he set the board up on the wooden coffee table. They sat next to each other on one of the couches and began the game. Levi chose black, of course, so Eren was red. 

Their eyes were narrowed on the board, each of them trying to outwit the other with strategic moves. There wasn't much action yet, just a slide here and a slide there, until Levi found an opening and hopped over one of Eren's red pieces. He removed it a little too cockily and said, “Ha.”

“Ooo, bad move old man.” Eren smiled crookedly.

“Old man? The fuck? I'm only like five years older than you.” Levi furrowed his brow at Eren and sipped his beer.

Eren then proceeded to hop over three of Levi's men in a single swift move.

The raven haired man stared at the board aghast and whispered, “You little shit.”

Then the brunette stood, gathered their empty bottles and said, “I'm going to grab us some more beer.” He walked away and called “No cheating!” over his shoulder.

“Fuck you!” Levi called back, and Eren just chuckled. 

Eren returned shortly with a couple more beers. “Did you go?”

“Yeah, but I'm not telling you which piece I moved.” Levi snatched a beer out of Eren's hand.

“Psh, whatever.”

They played comfortably not speaking for a while, and somehow they were getting closer to each other, like the cushions of the couch were funneling them into the middle. After an extra long pause, Eren finally moved a piece. Levi made his move immediately after Eren, he'd been hoping that the brunette would fall for that trap.

“King me bitch.” Levi turned and smirked at Eren.

“Damnit.” the word was long and drawn out. “How did I miss that?”

It was a close call, but ultimately, Eren won the game after about five more minutes. They were having a good time, not ready to call it a night yet, so they moved on to a game of Mancala. Neither of them knew the rules, so they huddled together, each holding a side of the paper instructions. 

Levi was reading the rules out loud and suddenly Eren became hyper aware of their proximity to each other. He could smell the other man and he smelled delicious. Like musk and dark wood, and maybe...citrus? There was a ghost of cologne mixing with his skin. And did he smell a little bit like rain? Eren's breathing became uneven.

“Are you even listening brat?” Levi turned towards Eren, an eyebrow raised. And their faces were just inches apart, gray eyes staring into green. Eren broke the eye contact and looked down at Levi's smooth pale lips, then licked his own subconsciously.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm listening.” he finally managed to force out, looking back at those stormy irises. 

“Good.” Levi all but whispered, then turned his head back to the paper and continued reading.

The brunette swallowed hard, took a large swig of his beer, and tried to actually focus on what Levi was saying. It was hopeless though, once he started paying attention to the words rolling off Levi's tongue in that rich deep voice he was lost again. The man's voice was so comfortable, like freshly laundered silk sheets. And Eren could feel the warmth radiating from Levi's body next to him.

“Ok, so that's it. Ready to start?” Levi folded the instructions and placed them on the coffee table.

“Yep.” Eren was glad to have something to do. He felt like he was losing his mind a little, thinking all these things about his coworker, his unofficial boss. 

They set the wooden board in front of them and filled the little pockets with their stones, then began. Levi went first, then Eren. The pieces made a satisfying noise as they clattered onto the wood and clinked next to the other stones. They continued alternating turns, and then it was Levi's turn again and he had a perfect move. He dropped the little pebbles one by one until the last one landed in an empty pocket on his side. With a cocky glance at Eren he said, “I'll be taking these.” and he scooped up all the stones from one of the pockets on Eren's side. 

“What the hell?! You can't just take my stones!” Eren's green eyes were wide with disbelief at the audacity.

“Uh, yeah, I can. I landed in an empty spot. I take your stones.” Levi dropped the stones into his side.

“You are so full of it! You're totally cheating!” Eren gave Levi a gentle shove on the shoulder.

Now Levi's eyes were wide with disbelief. He looked at his shoulder and back up at his coworker. “I am not cheating, and you would know that if you had been listening to the fucking rules.”

“Why would that be a rule? It's totally unfair!” They were facing each other now a fight ablaze in their eyes. 

“I don't know, I didn't write the god damn rules Eren!”

“Psh, whatever. I'm taking my stones back.” and Eren swiftly snatched a handful of pieces from Levi's side of the board. 

Levi's hand was around Eren's wrist in a second, “Oh no you fucking don't!”

“Yep. They're mine. Mine forever.” Eren said calmy, squeezing his fist tight to protect the little pieces. He started twisting his arm, trying to break free. Levi's grasp only intensified, and he used his other hand to try and pry Eren's fingers open. 

“You're the one cheating now. Open your stupid hand Eren.”

“No way Jose! These babies are mine!” 

“You little shit! Stop struggling.”

Eren was pulling at his trapped arm and pushing Levi with his free arm, squirming away. He was trying his hardest to keep his fingers around the little pieces, but Levi was making some progress in prying them open. A couple stones tumbled onto the rug below. 

A cheeky grin spread across Eren's face and he chuckled, “Well now you're just making a mess.” Levi just glared and the brunette continued, “You're actually a lot stronger than you look.”

Suddenly the hand pushing at Levi's chest was caught and Eren was slammed onto his back, pinned to the couch. “And you're a lot more of a brat than I ever could have imagined.” Surprised, Eren's hand opened, and the rest of the stones tumbled to the floor.

Their chests heaved from the exertion, and the only sounds were their breathing and the soft music that still seeped from the shop speakers. They were frozen in place, eyes locked on each other, just inches away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't intending on being a tease, it just kind of happened that way. Sorry.


	3. Thirsty

Eren drew in a shaky breath and said, “You going to move, or just stay on top of me all night?” He meant it to sound like a joke, but it didn't really come across that way.

“I dunno, thinking about it.” Was Levi's response and he didn't move. The way the longer part of his hair dangled around his face was just gorgeous.

Their breath was mingling, hearts pounding, and then the brunette couldn't take it anymore. Didn't care what the consequences might be. He had to know what those perfect pale lips tasted like. His head moved forward and he captured Levi's mouth with his own. He pressed in deep, opened his mouth a little, and gave the lip ring a gentle suck.

Levi pulled away and blinked down at Eren with a look of shock on his face. Green eyes stared back, a sense of apprehension growing in them. Shit! Shit shit shit. What had he been thinking? Everything had been fine. He finally knew what Levi did after hours and was even invited to stay with him, and then he went and fucked it all up. If he hadn't been so rash, maybe they could've become friends or something. But now, Levi was probably going to tell him to “get the fuck out", and then things would be weird between them, and he might even get fired...and -

The rambling inside Eren's brain was cut short when he felt Levi's mouth touch his own again. A small whimper escaped him at the sudden contact, and then he was kissing back. He felt the older man's tongue gently flick at his top lip and it sent chills down his spine. Then Eren parted his lips in invitation and their tongues intertwined. 

It started to dawn on Eren that he had wanted this from the moment he'd laid eyes on the short mysterious man. Had been wondering what his porcelain skin might feel like under his touch. Levi's mouth was scrumptious, better than anything he had imagined. 

Eren broke the kiss and moaned, “You're so fucking hot.”

“Shut up.” Levi panted and then pressed his whole body into Eren's.

Electricity shot between them. Eren broke his arms free and thrust a hand into soft black locks. The other hand slid down Levi's ribcage to his waist. He let out a small noise against Eren's lips. They were ravenous for each, could barely breath with their mouths pressed so tightly together. Then Levi tugged Eren's head back exposing the tender skin of his neck. 

The older man's lips traveled down Eren's jaw-line to his throat and passionately sucked at his skin. All Eren could do was keep breathing and hope that his heart didn't explode from beating too fast. The sensuous motions continued upward until the tip of a warm tongue brushed behind Eren's ear followed by a light bite on his earlobe. He gasped and arched backward and right at that moment Levi ground his hips into Eren's. “Fuck” was all Eren could say. And in response he just felt Levi's chest vibrate with a dark chuckle. 

Then cool air filled the space between them and Levi sat up on his knees. Eren looked like a kid who'd just had his lollipop taken away. He was about to ask what Levi was doing, but his question was answered before he could get it out.

“Thirsty.” Levi said, trying to catch his breath. “I'll be right back.” He pushed off the couch and disappeared to the kitchen. A moment later he returned with a glass of water, his lips glistening with the residue of having already drunk from it.

“You want some?” he offered it to Eren.

“Yeah, thanks.” Eren sat up, his feet on the floor now, and took the glass. He took a long swig of the water.

The moment the glass hit the coffee table Levi was on the brunette again, a leg on either side, straddling him. Their lips slid together, mouths opened, and the feeling was cool from the cold water they'd drank. It was Eren's turn now to pepper Levi's neck with greedy kisses and soft sucks. With his head back and slender fingers lacing through messy brown tresses, the older man exhaled a low moan. 

“You taste so good.” Eren breathed against Levi's neck. 

And then Levi pulled Eren's head back so their lips were aligned again, and whispered, “Not as good as you.” and ravaged Eren's mouth. They continued in this way for a while, tongues brushing, soft nibbles, and hands grasping onto each other. But the moment was too good to last.

“Shit!” said Eren and backed away, a hand coming up to his face. 

“What?” Levi backed away as well, confusion knitting his brow.

“God, this is so embarrassing.” Eren muttered mostly to himself.

“What's wrong? What happened?”

“I have a bloody nose.” Eren sighed. 

“Was I being too -”

“No.” Eren cut him off. “No, it's not your fault. I get them all the time, just randomly. You know, right at the most convenient times.” He said sarcastically.

“Oh.” Levi wasn't really sure how to help, so he just removed himself from Eren's lap. 

Eren stood up, hand still cupping his nose, and said, “Sorry.” as he walked away towards the bathroom. His eyes were on the floor, too embarrassed to look up. 

“Don't worry about it.” Levi called after him as his back disappeared around the corner.

Once Levi heard the bathroom door close behind Eren, he let out a long sigh and ran a hand through his hair. What the hell had just happened? One minute he'd been playing a game and the next minute he was making out with his coworker. On the shop couch no less! He started picking the Mancala pieces off the ground and putting the game away. He didn't know what to think about the feelings that the brunette made wash over his body, feelings that quickened his pulse. It was overwhelming, and Eren was sexy as hell... But, Eren was also his coworker, and he'd always been against people getting involved with each other in the workplace. Plus they had been drinking and...

Eren emerged from the bathroom. Red petals flowered out across a tissue he held to his nose. His eyes traveled around, noticing the lack of games and bottles, the straightened pillows on the couch. “Hey.” he said quietly and shuffled his feet.

“Hey.” Levi was looking anywhere but at Eren, his hands in his pockets. “It's getting pretty late, and we both work tomorrow. We should probably call it a night.”

“Uh, right, okay.” Eren adjusted the tissue and started walking toward the backroom. Levi followed a safe distance behind. They shut the music off and collected their things in an uncomfortable silence. A switch was flipped, the amber lamps dimmed to black. They exited through the back door, and a motion light flicked on casting long shadows across the brick exterior. Levi pushed a key into the lock and turned it, sliding the deadbolt into place. 

The night air was cool and refreshing, a soft breeze played through their disheveled hair. They shared a short walk down a dark alleyway, crowded between the shop and a tall old apartment building with rusted ladders bolted to the side. Then their feet were on the sidewalk and they paused for a moment. This was where they always parted to walk their separate ways.

Eren drew in a long breath, scratched the back of his neck and said, “Uh...well...I guess I'll see ya tomorrow.”

“Yeah...see ya tomorrow.”

Their eyes met for the briefest of moments, and then they turned and walked in opposite directions underneath the streetlights.


	4. Americano Race

When Eren walked through the back door of Cafe Rose the next day he found Levi already busy tidying up the kitchen. He did this at the beginning of every shift because, “The god damn day people don't know how to clean up after themselves.” Hanji hadn't left yet, and she was following Levi around, telling him a story he clearly wasn't interested in hearing. But the story was cut short, because as soon as Eren walked into the kitchen Hanji practically pounced on him. 

“Oh my god Eren, your neck!” she said far too loudly.

Eren immediately started touching his neck self-consciously. “What? What's on my neck?”

“Oh ho ho! Looks like somebody had a good time last night.”She smirked lasciviously and glanced back at Levi.

Panic started to rise in Eren's chest as he realized that he probably had hickeys all over his neck. Did Hanji know? Had Levi told her? A smoldering sense of betrayal started to grow with the panic. How could he?

“No need to be embarrassed sweetie. You have a pretty tasty looking neck, I wouldn't mind taking a bite out of it.” Hanji winked at him. “Hey Levi, don't you think Eren has a tasty neck?”

“Jesus Hanji, leave the kid alone.” Levi's face was impassive, his hands busy refilling the creamer pitcher. 

Turning back to Eren, Hanji went on, “Well, who cares what grumpy old Levi thinks. I don't blame whoever did that to you.” and she gave him a playful punch on the shoulder.

Eren's face was surly beet red at this point, but he caught the words, “whoever did that to you.” He looked up at Levi and realized the older man was clad in tight burgundy jeans, his usual combat boots, and a snug black turtle neck with the sleeves pushed up over his elbows. So, Hanji didn't know. Levi hadn't said anything. Eren heaved a sigh of relief. He felt like a jerk for jumping to such a sudden and unfair conclusion. 

“Well, I gotta take off guys.” Hanji started to leave and then stopped suddenly. “Oh! I forgot to tell you! There's this big convention thing going on down the street for the next three days and since we're the only shop that's open after it get's out, you're probably going to get slammed. I thought about having Connie come in to help, but you two are my rockstars, so you can handle it! Have fun!” and with that Hanji twirled out of the room.

The back door slammed shut, leaving the two of them alone. They looked at each other, a stainless steel prep table between them. From the looks of it neither one of them had got much sleep the night before. Levi had dark circles under his eyes and his lids hung heavier than usual. Eren didn't have the circles, but his eyes were slightly red and his hair was messier than normal. 

“Americano race?” Levi offered.

Eren nodded. “Americano race.”

Not long after Eren had been hired, the two of them had come up with a little ritual that they performed whenever they were extra tired, and it was going to be a long night. They each made themselves an iced americano and carefully made sure that the liquid levels were exactly the same. Then they went to the kitchen and set the drinks on the prep table, no hands allowed. A straw poked out of both the beverages and after a “Ready, set, go.” they both mouthed the plastic tubes and sucked the liquid up as fast as they could, trying to be the first one to finish.

After the signature sputtering sound of an empty cup, Levi slammed his hand down on the table and said, “Done!”

Eren's drink was gone less than a second later. He slammed his hand down too, but said, “Damnit! You always win!” Then he clutched his forehead and groaned, “Ah, brain freeze.”

The raven haired man smirked a little and said, “You are getting faster though. Ah shit, now I have one.” and he too held his head and winced. 

An annoying 'ding' filled the room and they both looked up to peer through the tiny window in the swinging door. About a dozen people dressed in khaki pants and polo shirts started filing into the shop. Each one of them wore some sort of name-tag badge around their neck. The two baristas looked at each other with dread in their eyes. 

“Guess it's starting already.” Levi sighed and pushed his way through the swinging door and Eren followed. 

Once the stream of people started it seemed like they would never end. The line just kept growing, and the two of them moved quickly, trying to keep up with their customer's demands. Levi got stuck on the register for a few hours until he finally turned to Eren and growled in a low voice. “You gotta take over for me, I'm about to stab one of these bitches.”

Eren gave a short laugh and said, “I got it.”

They swapped positions so smoothly that the customers barely noticed. It was better this way anyway. Eren had a way of charming their guests with his white smile and bright green eyes, which resulted in more tips and less people grumbling about Levi's “attitude”. And when Levi made drinks it was like he was performing a beautiful and intricate dance. His hands seemed to work of their own accord, and Eren had to wonder how he could look so bored when he was making six drinks at once. Sometimes he would even finish a customer's drink before they had time to get their wallet out to pay.

At one point a pretty blonde girl, probably a student at the nearby university, leaned over the counter at Eren and slipped him a piece of paper between two fingers. She said, “You're pretty cute. You should call me.” winked at him and then sauntered away swaying her yoga pant hips a little too much. Eren tucked the piece of paper into his back pocket, and Levi glared daggers at the girl's back as she walked away. Sometimes Eren laid the charm on a little too thick. 

The night swiftly turned into a sort of hell for the two of them. The dishes were piling up, as well as the trash. Levi was quickly falling into a pissy mood. He hated it when there wasn't enough time in-between orders to keep the shop looking good. Crumpled napkins on the floor, untucked chairs, spills on the table-tops, and all he could do was keep working the espresso machine in order to not fall behind on orders. They started to wish that Hanji had actually asked Connie to come in. 

But, eventually the groups got smaller and came in larger intervals. The loud chatter dimmed to intimate conversations. And finally there was a moment to breath. It had been dark outside for hours now.

“What time is it?” Levi asked.

Eren looked at the register clock. “Eleven fifty-one.” he said, and let out a long exhausted sigh. 

They'd been working nonstop all night, not so much as a bathroom break, let alone time to eat. They were both cranky, tired, and hungry. 

“I don't even fucking care if it's nine minutes early, I'm shutting off the open sign.” Levi stalked around the counter and to the front of the store, where he clicked the sign to 'closed'. Those stragglers finishing up the last of a tea or espresso seemed to take the hint, and started shuffling to leave. The scowl plastered on Levi's face may have had something to do with it. A few of them called, “Have a good night!” as they left, and Eren called back, “You too, thanks!”

Once the last customer, a nightly regular they'd dubbed “cookie sniffer”, finally made it out the door (after using the bathroom, slowly looking at all of the art on the walls, and shuffling through the business cards on the community board), Levi locked the front door. He wanted to say, “I hate that guy.” but he was too tired for words. 

What a fucking night. The shop was an absolute disaster. Some customers had taken it upon themselves to rearrange a few of the tables in order to accommodate their group, and of course they didn't put them back. Trash was literally spilling out of the top of the lobby garbage can, and the pile of dirty dishes in the bus bin had gotten so out of control that people had started leaving stacks of mugs and saucer on the condiment table. 

The two of them just blinked around the room, too overwhelmed to even know where to start. Then after a long breath Levi said, “How you feeling about option three tonight?”

Eren let out a tired laugh and said, “Sounds good to me.”

“I wish.” Levi paused. “Same as last night?”

“Sure.”

There was no metal music tonight, only silence broken by the clinking of dishes and the slopping of a mop. The mess was endless, and when Levi finished with the lobby work he stepped up to the sink next to Eren without a word. Eren washed, Levi rinsed and sanitized. They were zombies at this point. With the last saucer and mug finally placed on the drying rack, Eren pulled the plug and soapy water whirlpooled down into the floor drain. 

“Help me with the register.” Levi said as he walked through the swinging door. 

First they split their tips, then they each took a pile of change and bills and started counting. After adding their piles together, Levi did some quick math on a calculator, then shoved everything into a money bag. They walked to the safe in silence, and locked the money away. It was now 1:45 in the morning. It had taken them almost twice as long as normal to clean the store. 

“At least we made good money.” Eren said, stuffing the night's tips into his wallet. 

“Yeah.” Levi agreed, tucking his money away as well. Then, “So you going to call her?”

“What?” Eren's brain was too tired to comprehend the question.

“The pretty blonde. The girl who gave you her number.” Levi was feigning disinterest, his face betraying no emotions. 

“Oh,” Eren laughed. “I forgot about that.” He reached a hand into his back pocket and pulled the piece of paper out. “Nah, I just didn't want to make her feel bad by throwing it away in front of her.” Then he tossed the still folded note into the nearest trash. 

“Good.” Levi said.  
And then the wind was knocked out of Eren as his back slammed against the wall. Levi was kissing him hard, the silver ring pressed between their bottom lips. “Mmmm.” he moaned and dropped his bag onto the floor, melting into the touch. 

They were stumbling awkwardly out of the backroom, bumping into walls and through doorways, refusing to separate, heading for the couch. Levi managed to smoothly flip off the “soul-sucking” lights as they passed the switch for them. And then the back of Eren's legs hit something and he tripped, luckily, onto the couch. Levi fell on top of him and they both let out a breathy chuckle, their teeth almost touching. 

Their chests were heaving, lips no longer locked. They looked at each other for a moment, and then Levi started gently trailing kisses down Eren's neck, tracing the marks from the night before. The brunette closed his eyes, basking in the sensation. His muscles ached all over from the over exertion of the shift, and it felt nice to be off his feet and lying down. The pressure of Levi's body felt nice too. He let out a long comfortable sigh. 

Levi continued brushing his lips against Eren's soft skin. Tasting him slowly, not even minding the slight salty flavor of sweat from the night, savoring it actually. And then he suddenly felt out of breath, so he stopped for a moment and ran his hand through Eren's hair. Little puffs of air tickled Eren's neck as Levi softly exhaled through his nose. The brunette was so warm underneath him. He could feel his heart beating, and closed his eyes to listen to it.

Something stirred underneath him, and Levi's eyes fluttered open. They were blurry with sleep, and he blinked to focus them. His muscles felt sore and stiff. What the hell was going on? He was so confused. Levi gently pushed himself up, one hand on either side of Eren, and then looked down. Eren's eyes were closed, a peaceful look on his face. His chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. Levi quietly stood up and walked to the counter. He leaned over it to get a look at the clock on the register screen, then said, “Oh my god.”

Levi walked back to the couch and crouched down. “Eren.” he gently shook the man. “Eren, wake up.”

Eren scrunched his face in confusion and sat up as he opened his eyes. “What? What's going on?”

“We fell asleep. It's almost six. Sasha's going to be here any minute to open the shop. We need to get out of here.”

That seemed to get Eren's attention and he blinked rapidly running a hand through his hair, “Oh my god. Really? We fell asleep?”

“Yeah.” Levi laughed.

Eren started to laugh too and whispered, “Shit. Alright.”

Levi stood and held a hand out. Their hands clasped and Eren was pulled to his feet. They shuffled sleepily to the back and gathered their things in a haze. 

“I can't believe we fell asleep.” Eren yawned.

“Well, that shift was like hell on earth, so...”

“Yeah.” Eren agreed.

They locked up the backdoor and made their way down the alleyway. The faint glow of dawn made their surroundings seem a bit surreal, like a watercolor painting. When they reached the sidewalk they both wore a faint smile, looking at their feet. 

“Well, see you again tomorrow, er...tonight. Fuuuuuck.” Eren realized they'd both be back for another round of hell in less than twelve hours. 

Levi just chuckled. Then he stepped toward Eren, wrapped a hand around the back of his neck and pulled him in for a long kiss.

“Get a room!” A disgruntled looking lady in stained sweatpants was staring down at them from one of the apartment balconies, a cigarette dangling from her large mouth.

They pulled apart and looked up. Levi flipped her off and Eren yelled, “Good morning!” with a big smile. She didn't know how to respond to that, so she just huffed and turned away. They looked back at each.

“Later.” Levi had a tired but dangerous look in his eyes.

“Later.” repeated Eren.

Then they turned and walked away, smiling to themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, I'm terrible. Also, I haven't had time to proofread this yet, so sorry for any mistakes.


	5. My Turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, full disclosure, this is the first time I've written anything that went beyond kissing. So...sorry if it sucks.
> 
> Also, it hasn't been entirely proofread yet, so sorry for any mistakes.

Once again Levi was at the shop early to get things ready for his shift. Annie was the one he took over for, so the place actually hadn't been too messy. She always insisted on leaving immediately when she was off, so she made sure to get all the prep done early. And because of that Levi had given her the okay to go when he'd arrived.

He would never admit it, but he was kind of looking forward to the shift. Not the part where him and Eren would have to bust their asses again, just the fact that it would be him and Eren. After that first night they'd stayed late together Levi started thinking about Eren a lot. At first he'd decided that it had all been a mistake and that they'd only made-out because they'd been a little drunk. He had planned on leaving it alone, pretending like it hadn't happened. Hoping that things between him and Eren wouldn't be weird. 

But as soon as Hanji had started talking about how 'tasty' Eren's neck was the next day, his heart had started beating erratically. Then later he'd started to get irrational feelings of jealousy when that girl had given Eren her number. Obviously it hadn't just been the beer making him feel something for the brunette. And then of course they'd made out again, well kind of, before they fell asleep on each other. Which was just weirdly hilarious. Levi heard the backdoor open and turned his head expectantly. 

“Hey.”

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Levi glared.

“Wow, one of those moods hunh?”

It was Connie who had walked through the door, not a green-eyed smiling Eren. Connie hung his jacket up and then joined Levi in the kitchen.

“I'm covering for Eren.”

“Why?” The question was a little too aggressive.

“Jeez, I didn't know you hated working with me that much.” Connie had an offended look on his face. “Hanji asked me to. Something about Eren's sister getting in a car accident.”

“Oh shit.” Levi's expression softened. “Is she okay?”

“Well, all I know is she's in the hospital, but she's not gonna like die or anything. I think she just has a couple broken bones.” Connie was busy tying a maroon apron around his waist. “So, I guess it's supposed to be pretty busy right? Some convention thing down the road?”

“Yeah. If it's anything like last night, you're going to want to kill yourself by the end of the shift.” Levi casually pulled his phone out and sent Eren a quick text: 'Heard what happened. Hope everything is ok.'

“Well that's encouraging.” Connie responded sarcastically. “It'll be good money though right?” 

“Yeah, hopefully. I'm going to go make myself a drink.” and Levi walked away up front to the espresso machine. 

He had been counting on another americano race, but that wouldn't be happening now. Some espresso, however, would still be needed to get through the night, especially if it was going to be him and Connie. It wasn't that Connie didn't do a good job, it was just that they didn't mesh very well. They were always getting in each other's way when they worked together, tripping each other up. And sometimes it even caused spilled drinks, which was just really annoying.

Thankfully, the night turned out to be a little slower than the last, but not by much. The biggest difference was just having the time to keep up on the dishes and the trash between customers. There was a moment though when Levi was in the middle of pouring an especially perfect rosetta and Connie backed into him, causing the liquid to rock and splash over the sides. All it took was one hard look from Levi's stony eyes and Connie was saying, “Sorry sorry sorry. I'll be more careful.”

In the end, the shift wasn't as awful as Levi had expected. He was more than a little disappointed that him and Eren wouldn't be able to pick up where they'd left off before falling asleep on each other, but there was always tomorrow. If Eren would actually be coming in tomorrow. 

When midnight rolled around, Levi did the opposite closing duties this time, mostly because Connie was insufferably slow at washing dishes. He did turn out to be suspiciously fast at sweeping and mopping though, and when he was done he approached Levi, who was counting down the register as usual.

“Hey, I'm all done with my stuff. Is it cool if I take off? It's just...my ride is here.” 

“Sure, whatever. The register is all that's left anyway.” Levi didn't look up from counting.

“Sweet, thanks. See-ya later.” Connie disappeared into the backroom and Levi heard the door close a moment later. 

When he finished locking the money up he adjusted the lights the way he liked them, grabbed a beer from the fridge, and stood there for a moment with the unopened bottle in his hand. Then he changed his mind, put the beer back, shut off all the lights and stepped out back, turning to lock the door. 

Right after the 'click' of the deadbolt, Levi heard another sound. Gravel crunching under footsteps. He pretended to still be busy with the lock. The steps slowly approached from behind. It was highly unusual for anyone but vagrants to be roaming around back here at this dark hour, and they were not the harmless ones. Levi had dealt with more than a few violent types on those nights he stayed after on his own. The shop wasn't exactly in the best neighborhood, and those on the prowl took one look at the short man by himself and figured he'd be a piece of cake to jump. Oh how wrong they were.

As soon as the steps were close enough, Levi swung a leg behind him, swiping his assailant's feet out from under them. Their back hit the ground with a thud and Levi was on top of them, a knife pressed to their throat.

“What the fuck?” Levi's victim choked out, the wind having been knocked out of him. Green eyes were wide with surprise, and the man dared not move with the knife so close to his throat. 

“Eren?! What the hell are you doing? I almost cut you!” 

“Yeah, well, that might still happen.” and Eren's eyes flicked down to the knife still millimeters from his tender flesh. 

“Oh, sorry.” Levi moved the blade and it seemed to just disappear somewhere on his body. Then he stared down at Eren and said, “What are you doing here?”

“Um, can we talk about that when there aren't like ten thousand tiny rocks stabbing into my back?”

“Right.” Levi stood up, extended a hand, and pulled Eren off the ground. 

The brunette started brushing off the gravel that stuck to him. “I sent you a text like three hours ago saying that I was going to come meet you after close.” He was still a little flustered from having almost been beheaded.

“Shit, sorry. Haven't really had a chance to look at my phone.”

Eren finished straightening his clothes and smirked, “I kind of want to be mad that you almost chopped my head off, but...damn! Uh, I didn't know you carried a knife on you...” He looked a little sheepish, toeing some rocks around with the tip of his shoe. 

“I did not almost chop your head off.” Levi rolled his eyes. “And yeah, I always carry a knife. I've been threatened more than you'd care to know.”

“What?! Seriously?”

“Guess I look like an easy target, I dunno.” Levi shrugged

“Dude, not okay!”

“It's fine Eren. I can handle myself.” 

“Yeah, but-” Eren was going to continue getting huffed up over Levi being in danger, and then he realized he'd just had his ass handed to him and relaxed a little. “Yeah, yeah I guess you can.”

It was silent for a moment, and then Levi said, “Oh, uh, is your sister okay?”

Eren sighed, “Well, she's got a broken leg. Clean break though, so it'll heal fine. She'll just be in a cast for a while. That and she has a ton of bruises, and rashes from the airbag. But, Mikasa's tough, she'll be fine. I could kill the guy who hit her though.” Eren grumbled at the ground. “Fucking idiot was texting and ran a red light. Didn't even have scratch on him! So unfair.”

“Damn.” Levi didn't really know what else to say, wasn't very good at consoling people.

The wind picked up a little and ruffled their hair and clothes. It was Summer and the air was warm tonight. Some crickets chirped out a tune from the shadows. The motion light flicked off from the lack of movement, the two men being out of it's range now. They were left in darkness. Could only see the other's silhouette.

Then Levi stepped forward and slid a hand into Eren's. Their fingers laced together. Levi turned and started leading them down the alleyway. 

“Sorry about your sister.” He said awkwardly, then added, “And sorry for almost cutting your head off.”

Eren chuckled softly, “It's okay.”

It was quiet for a minute as they walked, and then Eren spoke again. “So...where are we going?”

“My place.”

“Oh.” Eren's voice sounded a little nervous.

They were out of the alley now, a little ways down the sidewalk. Levi stopped under a streetlamp and gave Eren an inquiring look. “Unless you don't want to.” 

“No! No I do.” he was quick to respond, worried that maybe Levi would change his mind.

“You sure?” the older man raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, totally sure.”

“Alright.”

Their feet began moving again, hands still intertwined. Eren was freaking out a little inside. His heart was beating wildly at the idea of going to Levi's apartment. He definitely wanted to, no doubt about that, he just couldn't help but feel a little worried. And the worry stemmed from the idea that maybe Levi was only interested in him physically, that he didn't have any feelings for him beyond that. And who could blame him for thinking that? Levi hadn't shown the slightest interest in Eren before he'd been bold enough to kiss the man. Eren was more than interested in the physical aspect himself, but he had kind of been hoping that they could be something more. Still, he couldn't wait to get his hands on Levi once they arrived at their destination, and his stomach did a little flip at the thought.

“So, uh, what are we going to do once we get there?” His voice held a hint of expectation.

“Hmm...” Levi thought for a moment and then said in a ridiculously convincing tone, “I was thinking we could watch Clueless, make some popcorn, maybe braid each other's hair.” 

“Uh, oh, okay.” Eren couldn't help the disappointment, and confusion, that seeped into the words.

Levi stopped walking again, and gave Eren a look. He couldn't believe the brat thought he was being serious. 

“Eren, I'm fucking with you.”

Realization dawned on him. “Damnit Levi.” He blushed, feeling stupid.

Levi chuckled and as they started walking again he said, “Really though, we're going to do whatever we want. No pressure. And if that means watching Clueless and braiding each other's hair, so be it. Though...I'd prefer to watch something else.”

Eren was quiet for a moment. They crossed a street, watching for cars, and then he said, “What's Clueless?”

Levi gave Eren a sideways glance, then muttered, “Guess I am an old man.”

 

A couple more blocks and an elevator ride later they were at Levi's apartment. He lived in the top level of his building, a corner unit with large living room windows that faced south and west. The apartment itself was a small one bedroom, but the way in which it was decorated made it feel spacious and inviting. It looked like an old industrial building that had been renovated into residential. The walls were brick and the ceiling was tall with exposed pipes. The wooden floor was a rich dark mahogany with strategically placed Persian style rugs. The kitchen was open, simple, immaculately clean. The living room held a black sofa and armchair with a coffee table in the middle, a simple TV set-up, and multiple bookshelves that lined the walls, all full. The lighting was dim, as it should be.

Levi slipped his shoes off next to the door and hung his jacket on a hook on the wall. Eren did the same, then looked around, taking in the new environment.

“I like your place. It's nice.”

“Thanks.”

Eren took a step forward towards the large windows. “You have a really nice view up here.”

“It's better on the balcony. Here, I'll show you.” Levi motioned for Eren to follow him.  
They walked through the living room to a slender door in the wall that Eren hadn't noticed before, then stepped out onto a cement balcony with a black iron railing. 

“Wow.” Eren's eyes were wide, reflecting the city lights. “This is awesome.” he breathed almost reverently. 

“Yeah, it's pretty great. Especially at night like this, when the city is a little quieter and you can see all the lights.”

The outside air was the perfect temperature and the scent of lilacs drifted up from somewhere below, mingling with the enticing aromas left behind by the city's finest restaurants. The two of them stood there, leaning against the railing comfortably, mesmerized by the intoxicating sights and smells. 

Then Levi turned to Eren and said, “I'm going to go put on something that isn't covered in coffee and milk. Make yourself comfortable.” He walked back inside, and as he passed through the living room he stopped and fiddled with a stereo for a quick moment, then disappeared down a hallway. Billie Holiday's voice drifted from the living room out the door, gently singing the blues. 

Eren remained on the balcony, enjoying the scenery immensely. His apartment was actually bigger than Levi's, a two bedroom he shared with his best friend Armin. But it was only on the second floor of their building and lacked the old charm that Levi's had. Plus, him and Armin weren't exactly the best decorators. He liked Levi's apartment a lot, it suited the raven haired man perfectly. 

Strong slender arms snaked around Eren from behind, breaking him out of his thoughts. He inhaled sharply, surprised and excited by the unexpected contact. Then he felt the pressure of soft lips on the back of his neck. A shiver descended down his spine and his heart started beating faster. 

“Guess you really like the view.” said a low voice, the vibrations tickled Eren's neck.

Eren took a deep breath in, trying to remember how to speak. “Uh, yeah. The view from my place is literally a wall and a dumpster. So, this is pretty nice.”

Levi only responded with more kisses to the brunette's neck. Hands sliding seductively over Eren's thin t-shirt. Eren stood there breathing heavily, until he could think of nothing else but wanting Levi's lips on his own and turned swiftly and pressed his mouth to the older man's, one hand behind his head.

“Mmmm.” Levi moaned, caught up in Eren's grasp. 

Their lips caressed each other. Eren slid his tongue across Levi's bottom lip, toying with the piercing and he opened his mouth invitingly. He tasted cool and minty. Must have brushed his teeth when he went to change. 

They slowly started to back their way inside, past the coffee table and onto the couch. Levi ended up underneath Eren, the brunette's weight pressing down on him comfortably. The contours of their features seemed to fit perfectly together, like their mouths were made specifically for each other. They were kissing passionately, but slowly, sensuously. The low music continued to serenade them as if they were actually on a couch in a hidden corner of a 1930s speakeasy. 

Levi slid a hand down Eren's back to the end of his shirt, then slipped his fingers underneath the thin fabric and ran his hand back up, touching warm smooth skin. Eren's breath caught in his throat and he pulled away from their kiss and looked down at Levi with pensive eyes. Then he spoke softly. 

“Can I tell you something without you getting weirded out?”

Levi evaluated the question for a moment, then licked his lips and gave a short nod. 

“I've never actually been with a guy before.” Eren looked away nervously.

“Are you a virgin?” The question calm, unaccusatory.

“No. I've had a few girlfriends in the past. Didn't work out, obviously.” Eren met Levi's eyes again. “To be honest...you're the first guy I've ever even kissed.”

“Oh. So is this some sort of experiment or something, to see if you like boys?” There wasn't any anger in Levi's voice, just a hint of disappointment. 

“No! No, not at all.” Eren rushed to explain himself. “I really like you, as a person, a lot. You're really smart and talented, and actually really funny even though a lot of people don't really get your sense of humor, but I do. Most of the time. And I really like working with you, I feel like we get along really well…”

Eren was rambling now. Levi, still underneath him, just blinked at the confessions pouring out of the brunette, his cheeks flushing lightly pink at all the compliments. 

“...and you're like the hottest person I've ever seen. Like I don't think it should even be legal to be that hot. Aaand...” Eren took a deep breath in, paused for a moment staring at Levi, then said, “all I can think about right now is how bad I want to suck you off.”

That last part caught Levi off guard, well all of it caught him off guard really. He swallowed hard, trying to think of how to respond. He didn't know what to say. His heart was beating wildly. 

A few seconds passed and with lust filled eyes Eren whispered, “Can I?”

Still speechless, Levi just nodded slowly. A mischievous and excited smile spread across Eren's face before he leaned back in to capture Levi's mouth again. The kisses were more heated now, more aggressive. Their mouths broke apart and Eren was kissing and nibbling down the older man's neck. He slid his hands down Levi's chest, then slowly started pushing his shirt up leaving kisses across his stomach as he went. Levi leaned up a little and Eren pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor. 

Eren almost had a heart attack viewing the perfection that was Levi's exposed chest and stomach. The man was toned and lean and just beautiful. Eren slid his hands hungrily over the soft skin below him, then leaned back down and started trailing kisses down towards his belt. 

Levi was breathing heavily, running his hands through Eren's hair as the brunette's mouth went lower and lower. He was staring at the ceiling, lost in the sensation, and then he inhaled sharply as a hand grasped him through his jeans. He looked down, eyes glazed with lust, and watched as Eren undid his belt.  
With a quick glance up to Levi, Eren curled his fingertips under both jeans and boxers and slowly slid them off. Levi was left completely naked and very hard. Eren sat back for a moment to drink in the sight. The older man was well endowed, thick and dripping ever so slightly from the tip. Eren licked his lips.

“Well, now this isn't very fair.” Levi raised an eyebrow at the still completely clothed man ogling his nakedness. 

Eren smiled, stripped his shirt off, and threw it to the side, exposing his tan chest and stomach. “Better?” he asked.

“A little.” Levi smirked and bit at his lip ring.

Without warning a hand wrapped around Levi's length and a warm mouth slipped over the tip. Levi moaned and closed his eyes. Eren's mouth was divine. Warm, soft and wet in just the right way as it slid over him. He could feel Eren's tongue lapping at him, tasting everything. Then he felt another hand close around his balls and give them a gentle tug.

“Fuck.” Levi breathed out. For this being his first time with a man, the brat sure seemed to know what he was doing. 

Eren started to moan as he worked Levi's member. The vibrations spread from the tip to the base, electrifying Levi's nerves and making everything that much more intense. The brunette quickened his pace and the hand is his hair made a fist. He loved feeling Levi in his mouth, loved the way he tasted, loved how he couldn't quite fit all of him inside. The man was a panting mess under his touch, and that brought Eren immense satisfaction. He kept pleasuring the older man, responding to the noises he made, until…

“Eren. Soon.” Levi could barely speak, was coming totally undone. 

And then Levi's body shuddered and he let out a choked cry. Warm liquid filled Eren's mouth, and it was strange at first, but he didn't mind. He waited until the waves crashing over Levi died down, and then he slid his mouth off the man, swallowed, and licked his lips. 

There was silence between them for a moment as Levi drifted down off his high, chest heaving, trying to catch his breath. Then he opened his eyes and gray irises pierced right into Eren's soul. 

“Was that...okay?” Eren asked tentatively. 

“Oh, that was more than okay.” Levi's voice was low and husky, and a smile broke across his lips.

The next thing Eren knew their positions were reversed. Levi looked down at him with a lascivious expression and growled, “My turn.”


	6. I Think You Killed Me (or My Turn part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is very short, but I wanted to post it anyway. Consider it like a part two to chapter 5.
> 
> Also, I was listening to Mazzy Star's Fade Into You while I wrote the last bit. Just in case you want to get a little more of the mood I was feeling.

Eren had had blowjobs before, but this, this was something else. He didn't know if it was because he was with a man, or if it was because he was with Levi, but he was pretty sure it was mostly the latter. The man's skills were on another level. The way he sucked and licked with just the right speed, his hand wrapped around the base of Eren's cock with the perfect pressure, left the brunette in pieces.

His mind was mostly a jumble of wonderful senses, but somewhere through the haze Eren comprehended what was happening and was in total disbelief. Just a couple days ago he had been on the sidelines, casting longing glances at Levi's body, wanting desperately to get to know the man better. The only contact they'd shared before was an occasional bump or quick brush past each other in a tight spot, maybe a handshake when they'd met. Now, here Eren was lying on Levi's couch, naked and being pleasured by him. It seemed surreal, like he might wake up and find it was a dream. He really hoped that wasn't the case.

Levi quickened his pace, and slid his lips even further down, taking in as much as he could. He licked his tongue around the sides, feeling just how hard Eren was. He could taste pre cum, knew Eren was close. His free hand traveled up the sharp V of the man's groin and over his heaving chest, then he drug it back down, raking gently with his nails. 

“Shit.” Eren breathed out. “I...I'm...gonna come.” His voice was hoarse and trembling.

Back arching and hand clutching raven locks, Eren reached his peak. He twitched in release, moaning, and Levi moaned low and dark along with him. Loving the feeling of the brunette shaking beneath him. He took all of it expertly, not spilling a drop.

Eren lay there, eyes closed, limbs limp. Only his chest moved, rapidly up and down. Levi looked down at him for a long moment, eyes scanning his exposed skin, admiring the lines of his stomach muscles. Then he spoke, his voice raw from having taken Eren so deep down his throat, “So...was that okay?” He had returned the question.

Eren licked his lips, breaths coming in heavy. He seemed to be trying to gather the strength to say something. 

Then, “I think...you...killed me.” The words came out slow and separated by inhales and exhales. “I can't...even...talk.”

A low chuckle escaped Levi. He leaned down and pressed his lips against the dead man. Eren lazily kissed back, could taste himself on Levi's tongue, and found it strangely arousing. Then the older man stood, found his gray boxer briefs, and slid them on. The fabric hugged his form delectably. He slipped his jeans back on and refastened his belt, followed shortly by his shirt. 

“I'm going to grab a beer. You want one?” Levi was moving towards the kitchen.

Eren remained unmoved, and with eyes still shut he said, “Yeah, sure.” At least his breathing had returned to normal.

Levi had actually been out getting some groceries earlier in the day and had picked up a six pack of some really nice seasonal beer he'd laid eyes on at the store. Apparently it was brewed with dandelions, and he found that intriguing. He'd forgotten about the purchase during his shift, and then remembered as soon as the beer from the work fridge was in his hand, which is why he had put it back.

When Levi returned with a bottle in each hand, Eren was just pulling his shirt over his head, sitting upright on the couch. He took the beverage offered to him and said, “Thanks.” before taking a drink. The beer was cold and refreshing, slightly bubbly, and kind of tart, and a little sour, and…  
“Whoa. What is this?” Eren pulled the beer away and looked at it with surprise.

“It's a new seasonal beer I got today, made with dandelions.” Levi hadn't tried his yet, he took a small cautious sip and swallowed. “Wow, yeah, that's surprising.”

“It's not bad, it's just…kinda weird.” Eren took another swig. “Kind of tastes a little like wine.”

Levi took another sip. “Yeah, you're right. Well, curiosity sated.”

They sat there for a minute, drinking their weird beers, and then Levi said, “Uh, do you want to watch something?”

“Is it going to be Clueless?”

“Ha, no. I was thinking some Rick and Morty.” Levi offered. 

“Oh, I've never seen any of it, but I've heard it's pretty funny.”

“Well, we're definitely watching that if you've never seen it. I think you'll like it.” Levi set his beer on the coffee table, walked to the TV set-up, and fiddled with a few things. 

Soon they were both sitting comfortably on the couch watching Rick and Morty and sipping their beers. Levi had already seen every episode, and found himself watching Eren instead. Enthralled by the brunette's smile and how he laughed at the jokes, sometimes glancing over at Levi. And little by little, they got closer to one another, until Eren was leaning into the older man, and Levi's right arm circled around the brunette's waist. The position was pleasant, natural. And Levi started to feel like he was falling into something he hadn't seen coming, a warm tide washing over him and pulling him out of himself and into Eren. It made him nervous, but it was too late now to swim away. He was caught up in the undercurrent, felt like he had no control over his own beating heart anymore. 

Three episodes in they both started to get tired, Levi's eyes even started drifting shut. Eren turned to him and said, “I should probably head home. It's pretty late.”

“Ok.” Levi said sitting up a little. He reached for the remote and shut the TV off. “You want me to walk with you?”

They were standing now, moving toward the door. “Nah, I'll be okay. Thanks though.” Eren threaded his arms through his jacket. Then they stood there looking at each other until Eren leaned down to the shorter man and caught his lips in a chaste, yet intimate kiss. They broke apart, their lips sticking slightly together.

“See you at work.” Eren turned and opened the door.

“Hey Eren, text me when you get home k?” Was there the slightest bit of worry in Levi's sleepy eyes?

“I will.” Eren stepped out and closed the door. And as he made his way to the elevator he whispered, “What a softie.” with a smile.


	7. Nice Try

'Want me to walk with you?'?  
'Text me when you get home.'?

God, he must have been tired. Those weren't things Levi said. Not to some brat that he barely knew. Sure, he'd been working with the kid for the last six months. They spent a lot of time together behind the counter at Cafe Rose, but they didn't really know each other. Just because they got into each other's pants last night, and kind of ended up cuddling, didn't mean there was anything emotional going on. 

Levi was running, sweat trickling down his back. There was a beautiful park not too far from his building with a trail that wrapped around a pond with a fountain in the middle. There were ducks that swam in the pond, and large trees that lined the running trail, providing lots of shade. It was actually a pretty nice park. Levi was not there. It was always crowded with moms pushing strollers, children running and screaming, and dogs bounding up to slobber all over you. All things Levi disliked. So, he ran a little further away to an old and practically abandoned industrial area where it was silent and there were no people. 

He'd run the area so often he could do it with his eyes closed. Knew all the cracks in the sidewalks, the weeds that poked out just enough to scrape you as you passed, and the bent metal garages that housed the heroine junkies. Other than those few nuisances, which he avoided, he actually found the place strangely peaceful. And there were some beautiful works of graffiti on a lot of the walls, a few of which Levi had actual done himself. Though no one knew of this but him.

The man was lost in his own thoughts, arguing with himself over what was actually happening with Eren while he ran. On one hand, the brat was attractive, surprisingly good with his mouth, and not as annoying as most human beings. Eren had been right when he said that they worked well together. But on the other hand, Eren didn't know anything about Levi or his past. And despite Eren's attempt to explain things, Levi was not about to let himself get attached to some kid who might end up deciding that he actually liked girls after-all. But what if he didn't? What if he truly was interested in men? Well, then he might just be blindly going for Levi because he was the first guy he ever experienced anything sexual with. And Levi wasn't okay with that.

He came to a stop, breathing hard, hands on his knees. It was hot and he'd been running harder than usual, trying to untangle his thoughts. It didn't seem to be working. He was just as confused and torn as when he first started his run, but he didn't have anymore time. In an hour and a half he would have to be back at Cafe Rose for his and Eren's final shift of the week. He turned and started back to his apartment.

Streams of water trickled down through his black hair and over his taut shoulders. He tried to relax, but his thoughts refused to be calmed, demanding some sort of solution. He was back home and in his shower. Maybe now that the sexual tension between them had broken, and they'd had a taste of each other, Eren's curiosity would be satisfied. Things would go back to normal and it'd be like nothing ever happened. “Eren's curiosity?” a voice within him chimed in. “You're the one who brought him to your apartment.” “Fuck off. I know.” He actually growled aloud to himself, then sighed deeply. What the hell had he started?

 

“Where the hell do you think you're going?” Levi was daring Sasha to step out the back door. “You think you can just sneak out of here and leave all these trash bags for me to take out? And I know for a fact that the reason the pastry case is almost empty is because you've been snacking all fucking day.”

“Leviii, I have a night class tonight.” Sasha whined and bounced on her feet, still holding the back door open. 

“I don't give a shit. You're not leaving until the pastry case is restocked and this trash is taken out.”

Sasha glanced from Levi's glare outside and then back at those icy orbs again. There was no getting out of this. Just then Eren walked through the open door and looked between the two of them. “What's going on here?”

“Levi's just being an asshole, as usual.” Sasha grumbled under her breath and shut the door behind Eren. She put her purse down and walked towards the front to put more pastries out, scuffing her feet along the floor as she went. 

“I wouldn't have to be an asshole if you'd just do your job in the first place.” Levi called to her back. He was definitely sick of Sasha's shit. Eren tried to stifle a laugh from where he was hanging his stuff, but it came out anyway. 

“What the fuck are you laughing at Jaeger?” Levi's glare had now shifted to the brunette.

The laugh had stopped, but the smile refused to leave Eren's face as he nonchalantly replied, “Nothing.” and shook his head. 

The exchange had been so natural, like it always was, that it was kind of a relief for both of them. They stared at each other a second longer than normal and Levi's lips twitched resisting a smile. Then he walked up front to make sure Sasha didn't sneak anymore of the pastries. 

Once Eren had his things put away, he went up front as well and got to work making two iced americanos with perfectly even liquid levels. Just as he was finishing up, Sasha was done with the pastries and pushed through the swinging door to leave. 

“You better take that trash out with you.” Levi called as she walked away.

“Yes Master!” She yelled over her shoulder.

Levi just stared after her and said, “Hmm...Master. Has a nice ring to it. Maybe I'll start making everyone call me that.”

And suddenly a fluttering feeling tumbled from Eren's stomach to his loins at the thought of calling Levi 'Master'. An image of himself bound and kneeling on the ground before Levi flashed through his mind. He inhaled sharply and choked on his own spit. The older man noticed the weird noise Eren just made and turned to him with a strange look. “You alright?”

Eren coughed and cleared his throat. “Yeah, I'm good. Here, I made you one. You're going down this time.” He handed one of the drinks to Levi.

The shorter man took the drink and raised a questioning eyebrow at the claim. “I highly doubt that, considering you can't even swallow your own spit properly.”

“Shut up.” Eren blushed and looked away. “I know how to swallow.” he added, then looked right at Levi with a smoldering fire burning in the backs of his eyes. 

It was Levi's turn to experience the fluttering feeling in his guts, but he met Eren's intense look head-on and said, “Prove it.” He set his glass down on the prep table with a sense of challenge. “One, two, three.”

They were both slurping as fast as they could, focused intently on winning. And then the slurping sound went hollow, one drink gone, followed immediately by the other. 

“Nice try.” Levi licked his lips in victory. 

Eren actually growled then said, “Ugh! I was so close this time!!” 

“You're kind of cute when you're mad.” The words were out of Levi's mouth before he knew what they would be. Cute? Did he just tell Eren he was cute?

And then the front door chime went off and a lone customer walked in. “I got it.” Levi said quickly and pushed through the swinging door, glad to escape his own words. Guess things wouldn't go back to normal after-all, and he only had himself to blame. It's like the kid's presence just destroyed any self-control he had. 

That lone customer had been the catalyst to the onslaught. Once again they moved quickly trying to keep up on everything. Eren on register, Levi on drinks. There must have been something in the air because the customers were really on one tonight, and Levi's patience was quickly depleting.

“Mocha for Steven!” Levi called out.

A beefy man with short blonde hair and blinged out jeans walked up and grabbed the drink that had just been set down. Levi was about to turn his attention back to the next order, but he noticed the man grabbing the drink was the same customer who had just finished paying Eren. 

“Oi! That's not your drink.” 

The man stopped and with an offended look said, “What?”

“Is your name Steven?” Levi didn't have time for this shit.

“No.”

“Then that's not your drink.”

“Well when's it going to be ready?!” The man was copping some attitude now.

“You placed your order ten seconds ago. It takes longer than ten seconds to make a good drink. And sorry to shatter the tiny world that revolves around you, but you're not the only person in here. It'll be ready in a minute.” He turned to start working on the other drinks, annoyed that he had to waste time babysitting customers. 

“What the fuck did you just say to me twerp?! I'M the CUSTOMER. That means I'M right. Give me my drink now and maybe I won't write a bad review about your terrible customer service! Can't believe I'm spending my money here!”

Levi looked back at the man, his face placid, and then turned to Eren who wore a horrified expression. “Eren, what did this shitbag order?”

“Uh...it was a small dirty chai.”

Levi stepped to the register, punched a couple buttons and the cash drawer popped open. He pulled out a five dollar bill and set it on the counter in front of the man. Then in a low and dangerous voice he said, “You can take your money and your review and shove them both up your ass. Get out.”

“Are you serious!?” the man yelled. He was really trying to cause a scene now. All the other customers waiting for their drinks were visibly uncomfortable and stepping away. “I'm not going anywhere, I want my drink!”

Levi turned away from him and got to work on the next order, which was just an iced coffee. It was done in a moment and he set it on the counter. “Iced coffee for Sara.”

“Just going to ignore me huh? Well that's not gonna work. Oops, sorry Sara.” The man slid his arm across the counter, knocking the iced coffee over just as Sara was about to grab it. The lid popped off and ice and dark liquid spilled everywhere. 

“My apologies Sara, I'll make you a new drink in a moment.”Levi's voice was frighteningly calm. He took his apron off and started walking around the counter.

“Levi.” Eren's voice was worried and Levi turned to look at him. “Don't kill him.” he whispered.

Levi just rolled his eyes and continued around the counter toward the man. There was a wide clearing around the 'shitbag' now. Levi stopped a few feet in front of him and said, “You need to leave, now.”

“Or what? You're going to make me?”

“Yes.”

“You must have a death wish midget!” 

And then a large fist swung directly at Levi's head. He dodged the punch and kicked his leg in one fluid motion. A loud thud sounded as the big man slammed flat on his back, the wind audibly knocked out of him. Then Levi grabbed the neck of the man's shirt, twisted it around his fist, and started walking. It was an impressive sight watching him drag a man probably twice his weight across the floor, to the front door, then outside onto the sidewalk where he stopped. Levi leaned down low, daggers in his eyes, and gripped the man's throat, then whispered dangerously, “If I ever see you here again, you will regret it.” He released the man, shook the hair out his eyes and walked back inside like nothing had happened.

The shop was totally silent, all activity had ceased. Everyone had been watching the ordeal. Levi ignored them all as he tied his apron back around his waist and poured a new iced coffee. 

“Here's your iced coffee Sara. Have a good night.”

He wiped up the spill with unparalleled skill and moved on to the other orders. Soon the familiar hum of the shop was back in full swing. Eren's lively voice mixing in with the chit chat of the customers. About an hour later things died down a little and Eren took that opportunity to go refill the sugars and straws at the condiment table while Levi finished up the remaining orders. 

While Eren was stuffing sugar packets into a metal tin a young man approached him and started talking in a low voice. “Hey, so I've been here for a while doing homework, and I saw what happened with your coworker earlier.” 

“Oh yeah, crazy stuff right?” Eren stopped to talk to him. 

The young man glanced at Levi, still working behind the counter. “And, oh my god, he is super hot. Scary, but I'm into it. I want what he's got. Like, I almost got a boner watching him drag that guy outside.”

“Yeah me too.” Eren sighed, following the man's gaze, eyes resting on the way Levi's back muscles moved as he worked the espresso machine.

“What?” 

“I mean, what? What were you saying?” Eren focused his attention back on the young man. 

“Well, anyway, will you give him my number? I'd do it myself, but he looks busy and I gotta take off.”

“Uh, yeah...sure.” Eren took the folded piece of paper.

“Thanks hon.” The man flashed a white smile at Eren, looked at Levi one last time and made an exaggerated “Mmmm” noise, then left the shop. 

Eren knew he shouldn't, but he turned his back to the counter and opened the note:

You can punish me anytime Daddy. ;)  
XOXO,  
Girard  
678-443-9076

The guy was attractive, had a nice smile, probably nicer than Eren's. The trash can was right in front of him, right there. He could just...Eren casually glanced over his shoulder to see if Levi was looking. He wasn't. The paper sat in his hand, glaring at him. He sighed, folded it back up and walked around the counter to Levi.

“Getting more phone numbers I see.” Levi didn't look at Eren, was busy refilling the espresso beans. 

So he had been watching. “Uh, no. This one is for you actually.” Eren held the piece of paper out. Levi looked at Eren, grabbed the note and slowly unfolded it. Eren was quiet while he read, gauging his reaction.

“Daddy?” Levi raised his eyebrows in amusement.

“Ha, yeah. He was here when you took care of that asshole. Said watching you handle that guy almost gave him a boner.” Eren looked bashfully at his feet.

“Hm. Well, I'm not looking for anything right now.” He tossed the paper in the trash, then added. “I'm going to go take a piss. Watch the front.”

Eren's heart dropped a little at the words 'not looking for anything'. How could Levi say that so nonchalantly in front of him, after he'd confessed how much he liked him last night? Maybe last night had just been a one-time fling after-all, purely physical on Levi's end. Eren felt disappointment weighing heavy in his gut. 

The rest of the night passed quickly, without anymore disturbances. They did their usual cleaning duties. Finished up a little later than normal, but not quite 2am like their first night of hell. They were zombies again, tired and speechless as they locked the money away and gathered their things to leave.  
Levi gave no sign that he was interested in hanging out, looked pretty tired. Eren was exhausted. Keeping that cheery attitude up all night took a lot of energy, but if Levi had offered anything he would've jumped at it with no hesitation. 

No words passed between them as Levi locked the door, and they walked down the alleyway to the sidewalk. Then their feet stopped and they both started speaking at once, their words clashing unintelligibly. Eren was just saying goodnight, but it seemed like Levi was saying something else. 

“You go.” Eren said.

“I just asked if you want to do something tomorrow.”

Eren was a little surprised. “I thought you weren't looking for anything right now.” The words were tinged with a hint of bitterness, and he suddenly realized how tense he had been since Levi said those words. He knew he was being childish, but he couldn't help it. 

Levi was quiet for a moment, slightly taken aback by Eren's tone. Then he narrowed his eyes and said, “I'm not looking for anything because there's a tall skinny brat blocking my view.”

The words slowly sunk in and Eren felt his heart start beating faster. “Oh.” Then, because he had a tendency to be an idiot sometimes, he added, “I'm really not that tall, you're just short.”

The older man blinked at the brunette in astonishment for a moment, then said, “Well fuck you too. You can hang out with yourself tomorrow.” He turned to walk away.

“Wait, Levi! I didn't mean to say that. I'm sorry, I'm an idiot. Yes. Yes, I want to hang out tomorrow.” Eren had his hand on Levi's shoulder, keeping him from going any further.

Levi looked from the hand to Eren's desperate eyes. “Fine, I'll call you when I'm ready.” Then he stepped out of Eren's grasp and continued down the sidewalk.

“Wait, what are we going to do?”

“That's for you to figure out.” Levi called back without turning his head. He crossed the street and disappeared into the night.


	8. Thanks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be safe:  
> TRIGGER WARNING:  
> Allusions to past abuse. If you are afraid of the ocean or are sensitive to the subject of drowning, be warned that this chapter involves both.

“So have you figured out what you're going to do yet?”

“No.”

“Eren! It's almost noon, he could call you at anytime!”

“I know Armin! Maybe you can help me. I'm totally lost here.”

They were sitting at their apartment. Armin on the couch reading a book, Eren at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal. At first Eren had planned on keeping things to himself for a while to see how they played out, but after that second night when him and Levi fell asleep on the couch at Cafe Rose, Armin pried everything out of him. It was only natural for the blonde to have some questions when his roommate and best friend didn't come home for the night. 

“Well, what does he like?” Armin put his book down, focusing his attention on helping his friend out. 

“Um, I dunno...coffee, metal music, but only when he's mad, old jazz music, beer...he's really good at fighting...” Eren trailed off, his list had run out. 

“That's it? You've been working with this guy for half a year and that's all you know?” Armin was in disbelief.

“He's a very mysterious man okay? Give me a break!” 

The nervousness coursing through Eren was making him defensive. Hanging out with Levi today was going to be like their first date and it was kind of freaking him out. The other times they'd hung out didn't count because the had been spur of the moment, this was different, this was planned. And it was up to him to plan it. 

Armin sighed, “Ok, forget about what he likes. What do you want to do? If there was no Levi and you were just going to do whatever you wanted, what would you do?”

Eren thought about it while he chewed a bite of cereal. Then he said, “Well, it's really nice today. Like the perfect day to go to the beach since it's all overcast and not too hot. So...I'd probably suggest that me and you go play frisbee and just hang out at the beach. Maybe get some food later, and definitely some ice-cream from Pixie's.”

“So then do that.” Armin picked up his book as if the problem was solved. 

“Armin, what if he doesn't like the beach? Or ice-cream? And how are we even supposed to get there? It's way too far away to walk.”

Armin gave the brunette one of the looks he reserved for when Eren was being stupid. “Eren, everyone likes the beach and ice-cream, most people anyway. And you know you can use my car whenever you need to.”

“Yeah, I guess you're right.” Eren sighed in resignation, clearly not too confident about the plan.

“Plus,” Armin looked up from his book. “If you go to the beach, then he'll have to wear a swimsuit, and that means he'll be half naked all day.” He wiggled eyebrows at his best friend. 

Green eyes brightened with excitement. “I didn't even think of that. Armin you're a genius.”

“I know.”

Just then Eren's phone rang, vibrating across the kitchen table.

“It's him isn't it?”

Eren looked at the screen. “Yep.”

“Well, it looks like you're going with the beach plan since that's all you got.”

“Guess so.”

Eren picked up his phone and pressed his thumb to the 'answer' button. “Hey.” he said, trying not to sound nervous.

“Hey. So have you figured out what we're going to do?” 

Eren's heart fluttered. How was it possible for him to sound even sexier on the phone? He tried to remember if they'd ever talked on the phone before.

“You there?”

“Yeah, sorry. Um, it's figured out. I figured it out.” 

Armin glanced up from his book and gave Eren a look that made him want to say “Shut up.” back to the blonde, but he couldn't, because he was busy, talking to his date.

“Good. So what are we doing?”

“That...is as surprise.”

“Oh really?” Levi seemed intrigued. “And what if I don't like surprises?”

“Too bad. You're just going to have to wait and find out.”

“At least tell him that he needs to bring a swimsuit.” Armin whispered from the couch.

“Oh right. You need to bring a swimsuit. But that's all I'm saying.”

“Swimming huh? Please tell me we're not going to the piss-filled rec center pool.”

“No, no way.” Eren laughed. “That place is nasty.”

“Okay, so when is this swimming happening?”

“Uh...I'll pick you up in twenty minutes?” Eren glanced at Armin to confirm that he could indeed use the car. Armin just smiled and nodded.

“Pick me up? I didn't know you had a car.”

“I don't, it's Armin's. He's letting me borrow it.”

“Armin...your roommate?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright. I'll be outside in twenty.”

“Okay, see you then.”

 

They had been in the car for a little while now, had exchanged their 'hellos', but other than that the ride was pretty quiet so far. They were currently stopped.

“You do have a driver's license right?” Levi look sideways at Eren with suspicion. 

“Of course. I'm twenty-two, not fifteen.” Eren's response was a little snappy.

“Alright, just making sure, cause the light's been green for a while now aaaand...”

“Oh shit!” 

As if on cue a car pulled up behind them and honked. Eren started driving forward, clearly a little flustered. He kept his eyes ahead, on the road.

“You okay?” Levi questioned.

“Yeah, I'm fine. I just haven't driven in a while.”

“Well, you seem really tense and it's making me tense.”

Eren took a deep breath and adjusted his hands on the steering wheel. “Fine, I'm kinda nervous okay?”

“About what? Hanging out?”

“Yeah.”

“This isn't the first time we've hung out you know. Remember that night, when I had your dick in my mouth?” He raised his eyebrows at Eren who flushed bright red.

“Yeah, I know. It's just, this is different. Like a...” He didn't want to finish the sentence.

“Date?” Levi finished it for him.

“Yeah.”

“Eren,” Levi's tone was a little softer now. “You do realize that we've spent probably over a thousand hours together right?”

The brunette finally looked at the man in the seat next to him. “Well when you put it that way...”

“Exactly. There's nothing to be nervous about. So just try to relax.” Levi turned his head to look out the window.

“Okay.” And Eren's grip on the wheel loosened, his shoulders dropping a little.

 

As they got closer to their destination the smell of salt and kelp started wafting into the car, it was invigorating, not unpleasant. When Eren finally turned the car off the road and into a parking lot, he realized that a lot of other people had also thought it was the perfect day for a beach trip. Ten minutes later, after creeping slowly through the lot looking like hawks, they found an empty spot. 

Eren unloaded the car, placing a blanket and a bag in Levi's arms, while he carried a small cooler by the handle. The car was locked, and they crossed the warm asphalt to a sidewalk that ran along the top of the sand. They stopped and surveyed the area. 

“So, how do you feel about the beach?” Eren asked a little apprehensively.

“The beach is fine. It's the people that I'm not too crazy about.”

As if they were a manifestation of Levi's words, a couple of kids with blue sugary mouths suddenly pushed between the two of them, chasing each other and laughing. 

“I thought you might say that.” Eren smiled. “And lucky for you, I happen to know of a secret spot that nobody goes to.”

“Is that so?” Levi's mood seemed to lighten at the prospect of getting away from the crowded area. 

“Yep, it's over on the other side there.” Eren stretched his arm out and pointed at a small peninsula that jutted out a ways away from them. “Only thing is...it's kind of hard to get to. That's why nobody goes there. You either have to swim way out and around to it, which is not a good idea, because there's a really strong undercurrent out there. Trust me, we tried once, and it did not end well. Or, you have to climb over a hill, which sounds easy enough, but it's covered in really sharp rocks and lots of spiky weeds.”

“I see.” Levi considered the two options. 

“But, I'm down to climb over the hill if you are.” Eren awaited Levi's response. 

“Sure, let's climb.”

“Awesome. Race you there!” And with that Eren took off running, sand kicking up behind his heels.

“That's not fair, I don't even know where we're going!” Levi yelled after the brunette.

“Sounds like your problem!” Eren called back, his voice fading as the distance between them increased. 

“What a little shit.” Levi grumbled to himself, but a faint smile played across his lips. He adjusted the blanket and bag in his arms and then took off at a jog, following Eren's footsteps. 

The peninsula was actually a lot further away than it looked. Eren came to a stop at the base of a rocky uprising covered in mean looking bushes. He set the cooler down and bent over clutching his stomach, out of breath. A moment later Levi jogged up and stopped next to him. 

“I win.” Eren panted. 

Levi didn't respond, just looked up at the challenge before them. After finally catching his breath, Eren pointed to an area that looked a little less treacherous and said, “This is the best way up.”

“See you on the other side.” The older man said, and without hesitation started trekking up through the weeds and rocks. 

“Hey, hold up.” Eren heaved the cooler back into his arms and started following Levi. They zigzagged through the rocks and bushes, making slow progress in order to avoid slipping and getting cut up. They reached the top in ten minutes and then looked down. The decline before them was steeper and rockier, an ominous sight.

Levi turned to Eren and asked, “You sure this is easier than swimming around?”

“Yes.” Eren said immediately. “Swimming around is really dangerous. Like, so dangerous Armin almost drown when we tried. Promise me you'll never try to swim around.”

Levi was quiet, looking out at the tip of the peninsula where land met sea. Trying to remember the last time he'd actually swam in the ocean, and he couldn't. Then he started to feel like two tiny holes were boring into the back of his head, so he turned.

“Levi. Promise.” There was a seriousness in those bright green eyes that Levi had never seen before. The intensity of them almost took his breath away.

“Okay. I promise.” He said softly, and he meant it. Levi was not a man who made empty promises. 

“Thanks.” Eren smiled. Then he was back to business. “So, it helps if you turn around and go down backward. Kind of like you're going down a ladder.”

Levi watched Eren start, and after there was enough room, he too turned and began his descent. The struggle down took twice as long, and there were more than a few curse words tossed around as feet slipped and rocks tumbled. But they both made it to the bottom, cargo intact, and only a couple minor scrapes here and there. Levi was grumbling as he brushed himself off, something about “dumbass rocks”, but then he looked up and the crease between his brows softened at the sight before him.

They were in a cove several hundred feet across, surrounded by high sharp walls like the one they'd just climbed down. But the ground beneath them was perfectly soft sand all the way out to the lapping tide. No trash, no people, just pure beautiful beach and ocean before them.

There was almost a sense of innocence in the way Levi's eyes drifted over the sand, the tiny purple flowers that swayed slightly at the base of the rocks, and the waves washing in and out, like he was seeing them for the first time. It made Eren smile watching him. 

“Nice huh?”

“Yeah.”

Eren grabbed the blanket out of Levi's arms, gave it one big shake to open it up, and then let it float gently down onto the sand. He straightened the corners, took his shoes off and then lay on his back with a satisfied “Aaaah.”

Levi set the bag next to the blanket, then began taking his own shoes off. 

“Oh shit.” Eren sat up. “We forgot to change into our swimsuits back at the bathrooms.”

Levi pulled both of their swimsuits out of the bag, tossed Eren's at him, then smirked, “Good thing it's just us.” And started stripping.

Eren's eyes went wide and his mouth dropped like a cartoon version of himself. He swallowed and turned away. Even though they'd seen each other naked already, he felt like it might be rude to watch. So he stood on the other side of the blanket and quickly changed into his own swim shorts, which were dark blue with an orange stripe down the sides and a sporty symbol on the bottom left. 

When he looked back up Levi was watching him. His own shorts, crimson in color, hung low on his waist, tied in the front with a black string. They were slightly tighter, and slightly shorter than Eren's, falling a few inches above his knees. He held a bottle of sunscreen in his hands. 

“I need you to put some on my back.” Levi squeezed some lotion into his left hand, then tossed the bottle onto the blanket towards Eren. “I can get everywhere else.” Then he worked the lotion between both hands and started rubbing it all across his chest and down his stomach. 

“Uh...” Eren was dumbfounded, watching as Levi caressed himself, spreading the sunscreen out evenly. 

Levi stopped and looked at Eren, who still hadn't moved to help. “Your tan ass might not need any, but I'm pale as fuck, and if I don't get some on soon I might burst into flames.” Then he turned back and started working on his arms. 

Eren snatched up the sunscreen, took a deep breath, and walked over to the dark-haired man. He squeezed a decent sized circle into his hand, closed the lid and tossed the bottle back onto the blanket. It was then, when he looked up, that he noticed the numerous scars across Levi's otherwise perfect back. Long white lines that looked old, but deep. Of course he hadn't seen them before, at Levi's apartment, because they'd only faced each other, his back against the couch. And then when Levi had stood to get dressed Eren had been so spent that his eyes had been closed. The lines made his heart beat in a strange way, an angry way? And he really wanted to know how they'd gotten there. Wanted to know who had caused this pain. But he knew better than to ask, not on a first date. So he acted like they weren't there, put his hands on Levi's warm skin, and started massaging the lotion in.

“Thanks.” Levi said over his shoulder. And the way he said it made Eren think that it was for more than just helping with the sunscreen. 

Scars aside, Eren was pretty ecstatic to have an excuse to rub his hands all over Levi. And he may have taken just a little bit longer than he actually needed to, and he may have moved his hands over Levi's sides even though he saw Levi cover that part with lotion already. And part of the reason that he was taking so long may have been because he was actually trying to get a half-mast erection under control. Which he succeeded in doing, eventually.

“Done?” Levi asked glancing back at the brunette.

“Mmhm.” Eren nodded and stepped away.

“So what now?” 

“Now we go swim.” Eren smiled in a way that made Levi wonder how one person could be so full of genuine happiness like that. Then the brunette took off down to the water, kicking into the surf until he was waist deep. “Come on!” He waved his arm for Levi to join him. 

Levi walked down to the water, feeling the sand squish between his toes, the sun hot on his face and shoulders, peaking through thin parts of the overcast sky. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been to the beach, and he wasn't sure he even really wanted to. Whatever memory lurked in the shadows of his past could never compare with the way the light glinted off the tips off the waves now, and that damn brat smiling at him as waves lapped against his bare chest. Levi stopped, took a deep breath of salty sea air, and tried to shake the chains that always lay heavy on his mind. Then as the waves washed up to his waist, he dove into the water all at once.

When he resurfaced Eren was even further out. There's something about the ocean that just draws you out and out and out, and when you finally look back at the shore you wonder how you got so far away. This was the phenomenon currently overtaking Eren. Levi followed, diving back underneath the push of the waves, swimming until he had to come up for air. This time when he resurfaced Eren was only about ten feet away. He slicked his hair back out of his face. 

“Hey check it out!” Eren called excitedly as he pointed to a small plastic yellow ball floating on the waves not too far away. He swam over to it and then threw it to Levi yelling, “Catch!”

They threw back and forth, catching most of them, until Levi threw one just a little too hard. Instead of landing in Eren's hand, it clipped the tips of his fingers and landed somewhere behind him. “I got it!” he yelled to Levi and dove underneath. 

Levi waited, lifting his chin in a vain attempt to see over the large swells that welled up between him and where Eren should be. A few gulls flew overhead, crying out. Gray eyes followed the shapes of the waves, looking for that familiar head of brown hair, but it wasn't there. He looked back at the shore, and suddenly realized just how far out they were, their blanket a tiny square in the distance. A few too many seconds had passed by now. The crease was back between Levi's brows and he was trying to keep the pounding of his heart from getting irrational.

“Eren.” He was fine, of course he was fine, he told himself. He'd come up any second now, ball in hand, smiling. But he didn't. “Eren!” There was no sight of him and Levi was swimming now, in the direction he'd gone. Nothing. He couldn't see anything on the surface, so he dove underneath, and in spite of the stinging salt he kept his eyes open, looking. There was only sand and water and an occasional shell. The pounding of his heart was out of control now. He needed air, had to go back up. His eyes were desperately searching.

“Eren!!” He yelled, but his voice was dampened by the sound of the waves. Was he even in the right place? Levi took a deep breath and dove back under, strong arms pushing through the water, stinging eyes scanning the surrounding water and ocean floor. And then there, just far enough away to be clouded by the water, was an orange stripe surrounded by dark blue. He desperately needed air, but he couldn't risk losing sight of Eren, so he kicked harder. 

Eren was limp, moving in the tide like a piece of kelp. Levi grasped his wrist and pushed to the surface with all of his strength. He broke through the water, taking a deep breath, and pulled Eren above the waves. The brunette was completely unconscious.

“Shit, shit, shit.” Levi didn't even know he was saying the words as he swam with one arm as fast as he could towards the shore, his other arm keeping Eren above the water. It seemed like a god damned eternity until he felt solid ground and could walk. He held Eren around the chest, drug him up out of the water, and lay him down. Levi was breathing hard from the exertion. He shook the brunette by the shoulder and yelled his name. Nothing. He leaned in, an ear to his mouth and listened. Nothing. 

“Fuck!”

He tilted Eren's head back and pulled his mouth open, then bent down, his lips over Eren's and breathed into his lungs. The brunette's chest expanded upwards, then fell. Levi took another deep breath and repeated the process. Then he looked at Eren, who still lay motionless in the sand. 

“Come on!”

He continued breathing air into Eren's lungs, over and over again. And over and over again the brunette's chest heaved upwards with Levi's efforts and then fell back, unmoving. It was beginning to look hopeless, but Levi wasn't the type of person to admit defeat. So he kept trying, kept pressing his mouth to Eren's, until finally the whole situation flooded him with a sense of angry injustice and he sat back, backhanded the brunette across the face and yelled, “Wake the fuck up!”

Eren's chest jerked, then his shoulders and neck, and a bubbling of salty water was coughed from lungs. Levi quickly turned him on his side as he continued to cough up water, sucking in desperate gulps of air. Levi heaved a sigh of relief, and ran both hands through his hair, leaning back on his knees as Eren tried to regain a normal breathing pattern. 

Finally Eren rested flat on his back, eyes closed, breathing heavily but steady.

“Are you okay?” Levi asked. The question sounded stupid, but he didn't know what else to ask. 

“Yeah.” Eren sighed. Then he opened his still vibrant green eyes and with a faint smile breathed, “Like I said, swimming is dangerous.”

Levi was slowly shaking his head, “I could fucking kill you right now.”

“Well...” Eren took a deep breath in. “That would just be counterproductive.”

“Oh my god.” Levi ran another hand through his hair, stood up, and stalked off towards the blanket.

“Hey, could you bring me a beer from the cooler?” Eren called from the sand. “I could really use one right now.”

“Fuck you!” Levi called back, but a moment later he returned with a beer for both of them.

"Thanks." Eren said, sitting up and taking the beer. And the way he said it made Levi think that it was for more than just handing him a drink.


	9. How Romantic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haven't had time to proofread yet, so please forgive any mistakes.

They sat quietly next to each other in the sand, not actually drinking their beers. Just trying to slow their beating hearts, calm the adrenaline flowing through their veins. After some time, Levi finally spoke. 

“Just let me know when you're ready and we can head home.”

“What? We don't have to leave.” There was no doubt that Eren was a little shaken up, but he didn't want to cut their day short, didn't want this to ruin their date. 

“Eren, you almost died. You should probably get home and... rest or something.” 

Levi didn't look at Eren, just stared straight ahead at the sand. There seemed to be a dark cloud circling his countenance, and Eren started to realize that despite Levi's sense of control, the ordeal may have been even more traumatic for him.

“Hey, I'm okay. Really.” Eren put a hand on Levi's shoulder, causing him to look over at the brunette. “I'm sorry, I was being reckless. I shouldn't have swam out so far. But...I don't want to go home. I don't want this to ruin the whole day.”

Levi considered Eren's words, then asked, “You sure?”

Eren nodded, then added, “But if you want to go, we can go.”

“If you're positive you're okay, we can stay.”

“Yeah I'm good. Promise.” Then Eren smiled, happy that they'd get to continue their date. 

Levi took a deep breath and the first swig of his beer, then in a less serious tone said, “So, what exciting and potentially life-threatening event is next on the agenda?”

Eren chuckled a little and looked around. “Uh...you could bury me.”

“Bury you? Like a mock funeral or something?”

“Ha, no. Haven't you ever just buried someone in the sand on the beach?” Eren asked.

Levi took another swig of beer. “Can't say that I have.”

“Really? Well today is your lucky day, you finally get to bury someone on the beach!” And with that Eren situated himself flat on his back. “Okay, I'm ready.”

“But you'll get sand all over you.” Levi was blown away by how Eren could maintain such an optimistic attitude after having such a close shave with death. The kid was really something else. 

“I already have sand all over me.”

Levi looked Eren up and down. “True. Alright, I'll bury you.”

Levi knelt next to Eren and began pushing large amounts of sand over the brunette's body, starting with his legs and moving upward. 

“Don't forget my feet.” Eren was looking down at the progress.

Levi shook his head at the brunette and said, “Maybe if you stopped moving them everywhere I'd actually be able to cover them.”

“Sorry.” Eren smiled, and stilled his feet. 

They looked at each other for a moment, fully aware that what they were doing was childish, but it was exactly what they needed to lighten the mood.

“Last call, I'm about to bury your arms.”

Eren snatched his beer up, downed a few big gulps, then lay his arms flat by his side. “Ok, go.”

Levi continued to cover the brunette in sand all the way up to the bottom of his neck, patting it down smoothly as he went. Eren could barely move now, was trying hard not to break the surface of the sand. Levi seemed to zone out, getting pretty involved in what he was doing, smoothing the sides out, making a perfect outline. Anyone watching him could tell that he was a natural artist, he just had that touch about the way he moved his hands to sculpt the sand. Then finally, he seemed to be pleased with his work. To Eren's surprise, Levi suddenly had one leg on each side of his waist and was looking down at him with a strange smirk.

“I must say Eren, you have very nice breasts.”

“What?” Eren laughed and strained to look down at the very shapely boobs Levi had sculpted for him. “You've totally done this before!”

“I swear I haven't.” Levi almost smiled at the accusation.

“Whatever.” Eren said in a skeptical tone with suspicious eyes. 

And then those perfect pale lips were on Eren's, kissing him, and there was nothing he could do, stuck in a mound of sand underneath Levi. They could taste the salt on each other's mouths, but it didn't bother them. Eren drew Levi's bottom lip into his mouth and gently sucked on the lip ring, causing the older man to let out a soft kind of whimper. And he wanted to touch Levi so bad, but his arms were pinned to his sides. Then Levi pulled back from the kiss and whispered, “Don't ever die okay?”

Eren laughed softly, “Well, I'm going to die someday.”

“Just don't do it anytime soon.”

“Okay.” Eren tried to press his mouth to Levi's again but he couldn't. There was too much space between them. He strained forward, but the space didn't get any shorter, and then Eren realized that it was because Levi was backing away just enough to keep out of reach, a devilish look in his eyes. Then Levi leaned in closer, let their lips brush, flicked his tongue across Eren's top lip. But just as Eren tried to deepen the kiss, Levi back away again smirking. It was driving Eren crazy, in a good way. 

“No fair.” Eren sighed. 

“What are you going to do about it?” Levi's voice was a low seductive challenge.

“The only thing I can do.” Eren replied trying to match Levi's challenge.

“And what's that?”

“This!” Eren burst out of the sand and tackled Levi.

“Shit!” Levi clearly hadn't been expecting that, and was left completely defenseless squinting his eyes shut and turning his head away from the explosion of sand coming at him. 

When the motion stopped, he dared open his eyes. He was pinned beneath the brunette, looking up into those vibrant green irises. Irises that quickly changed from playful to lustful. The look of hunger Eren was giving him made his heart beat faster, and he suddenly didn't care that they were both covered in sand. The brunette kissed him hard and deep, and Levi kissed back. Their hands moved over each other wanting more, and sand brushed from their skin to the ground.

They both knew the moment couldn't move past kissing, due to their filthy state, but that made them all the more ravenous for each other. They were breathing heavy, their bodies pressed together, with only their thin swim shorts separating them. And soon it was easy to tell they were both hard. Levi was giving Eren's lips gentle bites in-between the kisses, wanting to devour him. 

Other than their soft moans, the waves washing in and out was the only sound surrounding them. It was hypnotic, lulling them into a state of pure sensual bliss. Eren was lost in the way Levi's lips moved, and Levi was lost in the feeling of Eren's hips pressing against his own. Levi's hands brushed roughly over Eren's back feeling the warmth of his sun-kissed skin. 

Time and the world around them had become irrelevant, so much so, that as the minutes passed they didn't notice in the slightest as the tide crept in higher and higher, encroaching on their sacred bubble. The last wash in came so close it nearly touched them, but still it could not break their trance. Eyes closed, mouths locked in fluid sensual movements, they were oblivious as the next wave washed forward high and fast. It swept over their bodies without warning, submerging them completely. 

At once they both emerged from the water coughing in surprise, and strode quickly away. Once they were both out of the ocean's reach, they stopped and looked at each other, both drenched. Eren was expecting some cursing and grumbling from Levi. But after a moment, Levi smiled and then actually started laughing. A real laugh, not a dark chuckle, a genuine heartfelt laugh. And it was the most gorgeous sound Eren had ever heard. He couldn't remember ever hearing Levi laugh like that, not in all the thousand or more hours they'd worked together, and he felt lucky to witness it. 

After his laugh died down, he looked himself over, then Eren, and said, “Well, we're not covered in sand anymore.”

Eren looked down at himself. “I guess not.”

“I think I've had enough of the water for one day though.”

“Yeah me too.”

They walked up the beach to their blanket. Levi pulled a couple towels from the bag, tossed one to Eren and then started drying himself off. When he was done he looked up to find Eren smiling strangely at him. 

“What's that look for?”

“Nothing, it's just...your hair is all messed up.”

“Oh.” Levi started running a hand over his locks, trying to tame them.

“No, don't fix it!”

His hand stopped moving, he looked confused.

“I think it's kinda hot.” Eren said quietly.

It was clear by his lack of response and the way he shifted uncomfortably that Levi wasn't really used to receiving compliments. But, he did stop fixing his hair. 

“So, I'm starting to get pretty hungry. What about you?” Eren asked.

“Now that you mention it, I'm starving.” Levi replied, folding his towel up neatly. 

“Okay, well Trost Street runs all along the top of the beach and it has a bunch of little cafes and food trucks and stuff. Do you want to try and find something there?”

“Yeah, that sounds good."

It was four-thirty in the afternoon now and the glow of the sun was drifting west through the lace-like overcast. They packed their things up in silence, shaking the sand off the blanket together and refolding it. They remained in their swim shorts, brushing themselves off as much as possible before slipping back into their shoes. Eren was disappointed when Levi pulled his shirt on, but he understood why, probably didn't want people gawking at all his scars. So Eren too pulled his shirt on. 

Levi carried the cooler this time. Eren had the bag and blanket. They made their way back up the treacherous incline, it was easier going back and didn't take quite as long as before. Once they were down the other side they stopped to rest for a moment.

“We can take all this stuff back to the car first, so we don't have to carry it around.” Eren offered.

“Okay.”

The main beach had cleared out considerably and the trip back to the car was comfortable. They walked in silence, enjoying the warm air and the sounds of the ocean. Soon they reached Armin's car and locked everything away, making sure to bring their wallets and phones with them. Luckily, their swim shorts had velcro pockets on the sides. Then they headed out of the parking lot and down the sidewalk of Trost Street. 

“So where do you usually eat when you come here?” Levi asked, breaking the silence between them. His hair was still all mussed up and Eren could barely handle how simultaneously adorable and sexy it was. 

“Well there's this sandwich shop that's really good called Titan's, and they have fried artichokes, which are awesome.” Eren's mouth was beginning to water at the thought of them. 

“Fried artichokes? That sounds amazing.”

“Alright, let's go there. It's not too far down either.”

“Lead the way.”

Without really thinking about it, Eren laced his left hand into Levi's right, and walked next to him. The older man was slightly surprised, but not at all opposed. They walked like this, passing a variety of different shops, until they reached Titan's on a corner. They each ordered a sandwich, a side of fried artichokes and a water, Levi paid without even giving Eren a chance to argue, then they sat at a small table and began devouring their food.

“Damn, these are fucking delicious.” Levi had just eaten his first piece of fried artichoke.

“I know right? I could live off these, and Pixie's ice-cream, which we're going to after, you have no choice. You like ice-cream right?”

“Yeah, I like ice-cream.” 

“Good.” 

They continued munching on their sandwiches and artichokes, their mouths too full to talk anymore. When they were done, they washed their hands in the bathroom and left Titan's.  
“I think I'm too full for ice-cream right now, you want to walk around a little bit before we go to Pixie's?” Eren asked.

“That's fine.” Their hands entwined again and they casually started walking down Trost St. with no real destination in mind. “You sure your roommate is okay with us having his car all day?”

“Oh yeah, Armin's the one who offered. I didn't even have to ask.”

“So how long have you and Armin been living together?”

“Uh...” Eren thought about it for a second. “Four years now.”

“Wow, that's a long time. Must be a good roommate.”

Eren chuckled. “He's actually my best friend, so it's kind of weird referring to him as my roommate. We met in elementary school. Him and Mikasa and me have been like an inseparable trio since then.”

“Mikasa is the sister who got in the wreck right?”

“Yeah, she's my only sibling. And technically we're not even blood related. My parents kind of adopted her when we were like eight. What about you? Got any siblings?”

“No.” Levi shook his head.

“What about best friends?” Eren looked over at him. 

Levi seemed to be considering something, the briefest glint of sadness in his eyes before replying, “No, not really.”

“Oh. Don't you ever hang-out with anybody?” Eren was tentative with the question, getting the feeling that he may be close to treading on dangerous topics with Levi.

“Well, sometimes Hanji drags me out for drinks with her friends.” Levi shrugged.

“Really? You've gone drinking with Hanji?” Eren seemed very amused. “I bet she's fun to drink with.”

“Oh, she is definitely entertaining.” Levi chuckled. “You've gotta be careful with Hanji though, she's got a way of making you forget how many drinks you've actually had. She's always ordering more shots for everyone, and then starts trying to hook me up with every guy that she sees.”

“I'd like to see that.” Eren laughed. 

“Well, you can come along next time. I'm sure she would be ecstatic to have you there.”

Their feet came to a stop. It seemed they'd reached the end of a pier they didn't realize they'd been walking down. In front of them was a wooden railing with pealing white paint. Their hands separated and they leaned against the rail, looking out at the sea.

“She ever pick anyone good?” Eren asked.

“Ha, no. Hanji has terrible taste in men. She keeps trying to set me up with superficial macho douchebags.” Levi rolled his eyes. 

“Like the shitbag from last night?” 

“Exactly like the shitbag from last night.”

“Gross.”

“Yeah.”

Out in the distance, water spurted up from the surface followed by a large tail. Then a couple more fins emerged and slid back out of sight.

“See 'em?” Eren looked to Levi smiling.

“Mhm.” Levi smiled back. And Eren thought his eyes didn't look as cold as they normally did, the tiniest of flames ignited somewhere behind them. 

The sun was lower now, the only clouds left in the sky were thin wisps. They stood there alone on the end of the pier, watching the sunlight catch on the whales' large graceful bodies as they slipped in and out of the water. It seemed like there were three or four of them all moving in the same direction, and eventually they got too far away to see. 

“I think I'm ready for that ice-cream. What about you?” Levi turned to the brunette. The way that the low rays of light shone through Eren's messy brown hair and illuminated his eyes made Levi's breath catch in his throat. 

Eren nodded, “Let's go.”

They turned and walked back towards the sidewalk, their steps creaked across the old wood. Pixie's was only a short walk back down from where they'd come. A few shops away from where they'd parked. 

As they approached Levi asked, “So what flavor are you going to get?”

Eren opened his mouth to answer, then stopped himself. “Okay wait! Let's play a game.” 

“A game?”

“Yeah, okay, so we'll both try to guess which kind of ice-cream the other person is going to get and text it to each other. But we can't look at the texts until after we order our ice-cream. Then we'll see how close we guessed.”

“Okay.”

They both pulled their phones out, and after a moment of thought, typed something out and sent it. Then they put their phones back in their pockets and ignored the simultaneous alerts sounding from them as they stepped into the shop. The air was sweet and warm with the scent of freshly made waffle cones. After a small wait in line, Eren ordered first. The girl behind the counter handed him a cone with a bright red scoop on it. Levi was up next, and after ordering he was handed a cone with a rich brown ice-cream on it. 

Eren paid this time, and they walked away from the counter and back outside to a small white table with an umbrella and two chairs. They sat down, assessing each other's ice-cream choice.

“So, I think it's pretty obvious that I ordered chocolate. What's yours?” Levi nodded towards Eren's brightly colored dessert.

“Raspberry sorbet.” He smiled and licked a drip that was about to reach his thumb. 

“Hmm, interesting.”

“Okay, let's look.”

They both pulled out their phones, careful to keep their cones upright. 

“Vanilla?!” Eren looked up from his phone with an almost offended look on his face.

“No offense, but you just seem like a vanilla kind of guy.” Levi shrugged, he was obviously teasing the brunette.

“Shows what you know.” Eren licked up another drop.

“Show me otherwise and I'll believe you.” There was a sense of challenge in his voice.

Eren was about to explain that he just had shown Levi otherwise by getting raspberry sorbet, but then he caught the older man's drift and smirked, “Maybe I will.”

Their eyes were locked for a moment, then Levi looked down at his phone to see what Eren had guessed. 

“What the fuck is Spumoni?”

“Exactly! Nobody really knows what Spumoni is, and it seems like nobody really knows who you...are.” Eren's words slowed and got quieter as he started to realize what he was saying. He looked away, his words hanging awkwardly between them.

“Uh, wow.” Levi had no idea how to respond to that. 

“Sorry, I didn't mean to get all personal.” Eren wasn't sure where to go from here, hadn't really thought out the conversation.

“No, it's fine. I just...didn't know you were the contemplative type. It's...surprising.”

“Aaaand...surprising is…?” Eren still wasn't sure where he stood at this point in the conversation.

“Good. In this scenario anyway.” Levi took a long lick of his melting ice-cream and Eren was hypnotized by the way his lip ring drug through the surface, leaving a thin chocolate ravine behind. He wanted to lick the residue off the metal hoop, but Levi beat him to it. 

“Oh, that's good.” He sighed in relief and licked his raspberry sorbet.

“Seriously though...”Levi gave Eren an intense look that made him nervous for what he'd say next. “What is Spumoni?”

He wanted to punch Levi in the shoulder for freaking him out like that. It seemed the raven-haired man was an expert at avoiding talking about himself. “Ha ha, I have no idea. They have it here, but I've never tried it. How's the chocolate?”

“Really good.” Levi saved another drop from dripping down his hand. “And your sorbet?”

“It's the best. I get it every time. You want to walk back to the beach to watch the sunset?” Eren offered.

“How romantic.” Levi teased.

“Shut up.” Eren mumbled and a faint blush spread across his cheeks.

Levi smirked, but he was the one who stood and offered his free hand to Eren this time. They walked past the shops and the parking lot, back to a short stone wall that ran along the top of the sand separating it from the sidewalk. They found a clean spot and sat down, their backs against the wall. All the while trying to keep up with the rate at which their ice-cream was melting. 

The sky was bright pink and orange now, the sun just starting to duck under the horizon. Most of the families had gone home for the day, only a few couples remained, speckling the shore. They were far from anyone else. The day's heat was trapped in the stone wall behind them, seeping through their shirts and warming their backs. 

“You want to try mine?” Eren offered his sorbet to Levi.

“Sure.” They switched cones.

Levi felt more relaxed than he had in a long time, sitting there with Eren beside him, maybe even happy. The brunette's care-free attitude was somewhat contagious. Their interactions with each other were so natural, even the awkward moments between them carried a sense of purity. And if Levi was being honest with himself, he found it somewhat terrifying. He hadn't connected with anyone this way in a long time, had subconsciously been distancing himself from the world around him. But somehow this green-eyed brat had found a crack in his defensive walls, a weakness he hadn't been aware of. 

“Thank you Levi.” Eren's serious voice broke him out of his thoughts.

“For what?” Levi looked over at Eren.

“For saving me earlier. That must've been pretty intense for you.”

Levi sighed. “To be honest? I didn't think you were going to make it.” He looked down at the sand, his face unreadable.

“Really?” Eren said softly.

“Yeah. I kept trying and trying, and...you just wouldn't start breathing.”

“Wow.” It was a whisper.

Levi took a deep breath in. “Then I kind of freaked out for a minute and slapped you across the face. And, that's what woke you up.”

“So that's why my face hurts.” Eren touched his cheek.

“Yeah, probably.” Levi chuckled.

“And thanks for not leaving, for staying.” Eren added.

Levi met his sincere green-eyed gaze. “It was my pleasure.” 

They finished off their cones just as the last sliver of the sun sunk below the distant sea. 

“Ready to go?” Eren asked.

“Yeah.”

They stood, brushed themselves off and headed back to the car in the fading light. The smell of salt, sea, and sunscreen filled the car as they closed the doors. Eren plugged his phone into a jack, selected the Chet Baker radio from his Pandora app, then started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, back onto the road home.

They were quiet during the drive, just listening to the music. At one point Eren could hear Levi softly humming along with a song as he looked out the window, city lights flashing across his face, probably didn't even realize he was doing it. He thought it was nice, thought that Levi probably had a good singing voice, but couldn't imagine him ever singing. The trip seemed shorter on the way back, and before long Eren pulled up in front of Levi's apartment and parked along the street. Eren turned the car off and silence filled the air as the music stopped. 

Levi looked to Eren, his eyes slightly red from being irritated by sea water. He looked kind of tired, and Eren thought he was just going to say 'goodnight', but instead he said, “Do you want to come up? Take a shower with me?”

Eren's throat went tight and he suddenly forgot how to breath. “Take a shower with you?” The words came out slightly strained. Levi smiled a little and just nodded. 

“Fuck yeah.” Eren hadn't meant to say that, it kind of just spilled out of him.

Levi chuckled, grabbed his things from the bag, then said, “Okay. Come on.”


	10. Wash Me

The elevator ride was quick, but filled with a strange tension, as someone else who lived in the building had jumped on at the last second. Eren looked at the floor during the ride, which he usually did, because he always felt ten times more awkward when he actually caught someone's eye. He did glance up once to find Levi looking at him the way a starved man might look at a buffet. He didn't know how to handle that kind of eye contact either, especially trapped in a tiny moving box standing next to a stranger, so he just looked back at the floor. The stranger got off on the floor before Levi's. Then they were on the top level and Levi was leading the way down the hall to his door. 

Eren walked behind him with just enough distance that he could watch the way he moved, steal some glances at his ass. Then they were inside Levi's apartment, the door shut and locked behind them, and they were taking their shoes off. Eren's eyes drifted over the couch and a heated image from two nights before washed over his mind. Levi naked, hard, breathing heavy. And as Eren pulled his second shoe off, his heart started pounding fast in anticipation. 

“You want something to drink?” Levi was in the kitchen, grabbing a couple glasses off a shelf.

“Just some water would be nice.”

Levi poured them both a glass of water. They drank in silence, thirsty from a day in the sun. The lights of the city twinkled peacefully on the other side of the large living room windows. When his thirst was quenched, Eren set his glass down on the kitchen counter. 

“Good?” Levi asked. Eren just nodded and gave a small smile. “This way.” Levi walked down a short hallway and into a bathroom. Eren followed. 

The bathroom was surprisingly large for a one bedroom apartment. A tall ceiling just like the living room, open, uncrowded. The shower itself was a large rectangular shape lined with a mosaic of gray tiles and completely clear sliding glass doors. Every surface was clean, almost sparkling. A rare thing to find in the bathroom of a bachelor pad. 

Levi closed the door behind them, and moved to the shower, turning a silver knob to a familiar position. The room was filled with the sound of water hitting the tiles. Levi waited a moment, his focus on the water, a hand testing the temperature. Steam slowly started to rise, he seemed satisfied, and finally turned his attention to Eren. 

They just stood there for a moment looking at each other, nervousness and excitement in Eren's eyes, a hungry pensiveness in Levi's. He was evaluating his offer to Eren, one that he was too far into at this point to turn away from, no matter how apprehensive he felt. And the apprehension didn't come from the impending physicality, something he was quite versed in, but the way that this all felt different to him. It came from the knowledge that the next time he pressed his own lips into Eren's, it wouldn't be purely physical. Up until now, he could argue with himself all he wanted to about how there wasn't anything emotional going on between him and Eren, but for some reason, at this specific moment, he knew he wouldn't be able to lie to himself anymore.

Standing there looking back at those intense gray eyes, Eren started to get the feeling that Levi may have changed his mind. Might tell him to get out, tell him they were just coworkers and nothing more, could never be anything more. Might say that everything leading up to this moment had been a mistake. He started to worry if he had done something off-putting, wondered if maybe he should say something. But what? And then Levi took a step forward, looking almost afraid of what he was about to do, and put his right hand to Eren's chest. 

They were inches away now, steam starting to fill the room. Levi was being different, wasn't slamming him into the wall or making any snide comments. Eren still wasn't sure if the hand now on his chest was going to push him out the door or pull him close, so he stood still, heart beating fast. Then Levi clutched the fabric of Eren's shirt and pulled him forward, his left hand sliding over Eren's neck and to the back of his head, bringing their lips together. 

It felt like a fire was spreading out over their bodies from every point of contact. Their mouths worked together fluidly, tongues lightly brushing. And Eren couldn't quite figure out what is was, wasn't honestly trying, but there was something different in the way Levi kissed him this time. An overwhelming passion was emanating from each movement of his lips, his tongue, and fingertips. Eren felt like his very self was being devoured by Levi. Part of that feeling had been there when they'd kissed before, but not like this, not on this level. 

The room was hot and humid, the mirror and glass doors completely fogged over now. Levi slid his hands down Eren's sides and pulled the brunette's shirt off, dropping it on the floor. Then he grabbed his own shirt, and in one fluid motion that stretched and accentuated his stomach muscles, stripped it off. Their mouths were pressed together again. Eren running one hand over Levi's stomach and chest, feeling the shape of his body, his other hand fingering through Levi's hair.

Eren wanted to touch more, everything, so without breaking their kiss, he untied Levi's shorts. They loosened, but not enough. He took a half step back to look down at his work, and the sight before him was easily the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. Levi, hair disheveled, shirtless, shorts hanging on just enough that a tease of neat black hair was visible at the top, and practically dripping with lust. Eren wished he could capture this image, keep it for eternity. He unabashedly trailed his eyes slowly over Levi's body, drinking in the perfection. 

While Eren ogled him, Levi's hands went to work, undid Eren's shorts and slid them to the ground. He took a few steps back, bringing Eren with him, and the movement slipped him out of his own shorts. He slid the shower door aside and they both stepped onto the wet tiles. Eren slid the glass door back into place. 

Now both inside, Levi turned away from Eren, stepping under the shower-head, and let the hot water cascade over him. It felt good to feel salt and sand wash away. He moved his hands through his hair, slicking it back out of his face. Eren gulped and licked his lips, watching the waterfall that followed the curve of Levi's back, waist, and finally his impressively toned ass. 

“No fair.” Eren sighed, barely realizing he'd even spoken aloud. 

“What?” Levi asked without turning around. 

“You have the body of like...an underwear model.”

Levi was glad he had his face turned to hide the flush of pink to his cheeks. After a moment he simply said, “Well, it's not magic. I exercise a lot, it's hard work.” Then he turned around to face Eren and said, “Besides, you have nothing to complain about.” He smirked at Eren and gave him a very lewd look up and down, lingering on his groin. Eren was not fortunate enough to be able to hide his blush. Then Levi grabbed him by the waist and pulled him into the stream of water, kissing him deeply. Tingles rushed through Eren's body as Levi's tongue slid in his mouth seductively. Then too soon, the kiss was over, and Levi was moving out of the stream of water to give Eren more room.

Eren closed his eyes, turned into the water, and let the heat of it wash over him. It was the perfect temperature, felt good running over his muscles, which were a little sore from hiking that treacherous hill earlier. He let it seep into his hair, washing away tiny sand particles. He tried not to think too consciously about the fact that he was currently in Levi's shower, after having an actual date with the man, because he was afraid the elation might overwhelm his senses and he'd start acting like an idiot. When he turned around and opened his eyes Levi was holding a bottle of soap.

“Hold out your hands.”

Eren complied and in a moment he was holding a squirt of soap between his two hands. Most people would assume that the soap was for them, which is what Eren did. But he was wrong.

“Wash me.” Levi said. It wasn't a question.

“What?” 

“You are the reason I'm so filthy to begin with. I have a very vivid memory of you tackling me while covered in sand.”

“True...” Eren's heart was beating wildly. He was treading on new territory here. Hell, the whole day had been new territory. First time going on a date with a guy, first time almost drowning, first time showering with someone else, and he'd certainly never washed anyone else before, especially not with his bare hands. 

“Don't you have like a loofah or sponge or something?” Eren was looking around the shower.

“No. They harbor bacteria.” 

“Oh. Okay.”

Eren lathered the soap between his hands, then took a deep breath and a step toward Levi. He started with Levi's neck, because that was the least scary place to start. At first Eren had thought it an odd request, but as he massaged his slippery hands over Levi's shoulders, chest, and arms, he started to get ridiculously aroused. It was so intimate touching him in this way, something he'd never experienced with anyone else. 

While the brunette worked his hands lower, it was obvious that Levi was also enjoying himself. He was watching Eren's progress with heavy lids and shaky breaths. Then Eren stopped right at Levi's hipbones and said, “Turn around so I can get your back.” Levi's lips twitched into the tiniest of smirks and he turned around. 

Eren lathered a bit more soap into his hands and started running them over Levi's back, trying his best not to let the scars fill him with a directionless anger. He slid his hands down the small of Levi's back, and after just a moment of hesitation, onto his ass, fingers down, pinkies tentatively drifting into his crease. Eren was certain that he'd never been so hard in his life. His palms reached the back of Levi's thighs and then he slid them back up, stopping them on either side of Levi's waist. A deep breath later and Eren was pressing himself up to Levi's back and sliding both hands around to his front. 

Levi gasped and let out low moan as Eren's right hand slid from the base to the tip of his erection and then back again. Eren's left hand was curved around Levi's inner thigh. Eren knew he wasn't done with his job, hadn't washed Levi's legs yet, but he didn't care. It felt so good to feel Levi in his hands, to draw sounds from him that no one else at work would ever hear. And if he could stay like this forever, just pleasuring Levi, making him lean back against him in ecstasy, he just might. 

Eren felt a bit more confident touching Levi in this position, felt like he could work Levi's length like he would work his own, and so he did, starting out with long fluid strokes. Soon lewd noises were echoing off the shower tiles and Levi was leaning heavily against Eren, head tilted back in pure bliss. Eren looked over Levi's face, eyes closed, brows creased with rapture. Soft moans escaped his lips, which were parted slightly, wet and glistening, tiny droplets clung to the silver hoop. 

Without slowing his hand, Eren dipped his head lower and caught Levi's mouth in a sideways kiss. He sucked on his lower lip, tugging on the piercing, something they both seemed to enjoy. Then Eren increased the pressure and speed of his grip, and Levi inhaled sharply through their kiss. Their tongues were intertwining, lips wet and slippery. Eren's left hand was holding Levi tightly against him as his legs got weaker, and then Levi broke from the kiss, gasped, “Fuck.” and Eren could feel his muscles twitching in release. A familiar sticky substance mingled with the remainder of the soap on his fingers. 

Levi leaned a bit forward, bracing himself on the shower wall as a wave of pleasure rocked his body. He was breathing heavy, eyes tightly shut, Eren's hands still on him drawing every last drop until there was nothing left. When he was done, Eren gently released him, took a step back and rinsed his hand in the shower. Levi stay there leaning against the tiles for a moment, gathering his senses. Then he turned around and pulled Eren in for a short but passionate kiss. They switched spots so Levi could rinse off and warm up. 

After a moment under the shower-head, Levi turned and looked Eren over. “Since I'm the one who covered you in sand in the first place, it's only fair that I clean you up as well.” He snatched up the soap bottle, squeezed some into his hand, and gave Eren a devilish smile.


	11. One Lucky Son of a Bitch

Being on the receiving end of Levi's bare hands was even more erotic than rubbing Levi down. Waves of sensation kept rippling through Eren's body, making his skin prickle and his nipples hard. Levi's hands were slightly rough, not smooth like the rest of his skin. The cause no doubt being their job, with so much hands-on work. Eren's were probably like that as well. The way Levi ran his hands over him made Eren feel like he was being claimed, like his body now belonged to the raven-haired man.

Levi slid his palms over Eren's shoulders, chest, his arms, leaving a trail of tiny bubbles. Then instead of asking Eren to turn around he stepped in close, almost hugging the brunette, slid his hands around Eren and over his shoulder blades, down his spine. The position was so intimate, Eren had to remind himself to breath. Then those strong rough hands slid low, following the curve of Eren's back, and settled comfortably on Eren's ass. No sooner had they stopped there than they were pulling Eren forward to close the small gap between them. 

Once he had his hands on Eren's ass, Levi just couldn't help himself. He pulled the brunette in tight and tilted his head up so their lips met. Eren moaned into their kiss. Levi's right hand moved over Eren's ass towards the middle, then slowly down, and soon a single finger brushed over Eren's entrance, soft and gentle, the slightest tease. Eren gasped at the sensation, breaking their kiss, his heart beating a million miles per hour. Levi chuckled darkly.

“I'm guessing no one's ever touched you there?” His voice was low, heavy with desire. 

“N-no...” Eren was breathing hard, struggling to speak through the cloud of lust covering his mind. “Not really.”

“Mmm.” Levi hummed in thought. “Well, we can cross that bridge next time, if you want. Right now, there are more...pressing matters.” 

With that Levi slid his right hand over Eren's hip around to his front, encircling his desperate cock in a firm grasp. Eren realized then that he'd never needed to be touched so badly in his life, had never been pushed to this extent of arousal. His whole body shuddered as Levi's hand closed around him and started stroking. 

“Fuck...Levi.” Eren breathed out, his mind going numb with pleasure. 

Levi tilted his chin back up to capture Eren's mouth again, and they kissed deeply as Levi's hand continued it's fluid movements over Eren's length. Levi wanted to taste Eren's neck but he was covered in soap, so without breaking apart, he deftly maneuvered them around so that hot water was now cascading over the brunette, washing the soap away. Soon Levi's lips were kissing over Eren's jaw and down his neck, leaving soft sucks and gentle bites in their wake. 

There were so many sensations bombarding Eren, the hot water raining down on him, the sensual movements of Levi's mouth on his neck, and of course Levi's hands, one tightly grasping his ass, the other sliding expertly over his erection. If he weren't so close to coming, Eren thought he might pass out from it all. He was in shambles, muttering curse words and Levi's name in-between moans, one arm clutching Levi, the other bracing himself on the wall. And just as he began to climax, Levi's lips were pressed against his own again, devouring him in a rough kiss, the cherry on top of it all. Eren's whole body trembled, nails digging into Levi's skin, holding him tight as the most intense orgasm he'd ever had ravaged his nerves. He broke the kiss and let out a choked cry, gasping for air. 

It was a good thing that Levi had a strong hold on the brat, otherwise he might have actually fallen roughly to his knees. They stood there under the falling water, arm muscles defined in their tight embrace. Levi was spreading soft kisses over Eren's neck and shoulder as he tried to come back from the dead. Slowly Eren regained the strength in his wobbly legs, and stopped leaning on Levi so heavily. He opened his eyes and looked down, gaze rich with satiation. 

“You're just perfect aren't you?” Eren's voice was husky.

“Tch.” Levi glanced away. “Hardly.”

“No really, I think you are.”

Before Levi could protest any further, Eren pressed their mouths together in a long soft kiss. Their hands trailed languorously over each other's wet skin, soft fingertip brushes and slight caresses. Levi couldn't help but think that Eren was the perfect one with his bright eyes and smile that exuded a passion for life, his kind and fun demeanor, and the youthful handsomeness he possessed. Levi was fucked, totally fucked. The brat was like a god damned magician who'd cast a spell on him long before he even realized it. 

Not many people at Cafe Rose lasted longer than a few months working five nights a week with Levi. They were either fired for being inadequate, or quit or transferred to day shifts because they found Levi too intimidating with his crass vocabulary and intolerance for bullshit. Eren though, had somehow managed to make it to six months, without a struggle, and didn't seem to be interested in going anywhere. Levi hoped that wouldn't change. 

After a while they separated and Levi said, “I'm turning into a fucking raisin in here. We should get out.”

“Yeah, me too.” Eren chuckled and looked down at his wrinkly fingertips. 

They each took one last rinse under the shower head. Then Levi shut the water off, slid the doors aside and grabbed them both a clean towel from a shelf. The steam dissipated as they dried themselves off, then a loud grumble from Eren's stomach broke the silence between them. He flushed, slightly embarrassed, and looked at Levi with a sheepish grin. 

“Guess I'm getting hungry again.”

“You and me both. In fact I was thinking of calling in some take-out from this Chinese place around the corner.” Levi glanced to an analog clock with no numbers that hung above the toilet. It read 10:04. “They're open until eleven-thirty. Looks like a total shithole from the outside, but the inside is actually pretty clean, and the food is fucking great. If you want, I could call in a couple things, we could share them?” 

Levi finished drying himself and hung his towel on one of three hooks on the wall, then added, “That is unless you need to get home. I'm sure your friend will want his car back eventually.” Levi wanted to give Eren an out, just in case he was done for the day. 

“No, I can stay. Armin doesn't need his car until work tomorrow morning. Chinese food actually sounds really good.” Eren too was done drying off and hung his towel on the wall next to the other one. 

“Alright, anything specific that you like?” 

“Uh...orange chicken is always good. But, you can get whatever, I'll eat pretty much anything.” Eren shrugged then bent to collect his clothes on the floor. 

“Oi brat, I really hope you're not planning on putting those dirty clothes back on.” Levi quirked an eyebrow at Eren.

“Well, what else am I supposed to wear? This is all I have with me.” Eren had paused midway to his clothes. He was beginning to feel a little self conscious standing in front of Levi so blatantly naked, even though the other man was just as naked as he was. 

“I'm tempted to keep you naked...” Levi teased, clearly aware of Eren's timidness. “But that would be too distracting. I'm sure I can find something for you.”

Levi opened the bathroom door and started to walk out, but just at that moment what Eren would describe as a demon overtook him, and he slapped Levi's ass with an open palm. Then he immediately became terrified of what he had done, and drew his hands back as if he'd touched fire. Levi stopped dead in his tracks, and slowly looked over his shoulder at Eren with menacing eyes.

“Maybe I'll go with naked after-all.” 

“I couldn't help it, I'm sorry.” Eren's eyes were wide, a small smile was trying to force it's way on his mouth. 

Levi narrowed his eyes even more. “You better be.”

Then he disappeared down the hall into what Eren assumed was his room. 'What the hell Eren?!' his brain said to him. Still, he was a little pleased with himself for getting the slap in. After a few minutes Levi reappeared in the doorway dressed in black jeans and a form-fitting gray T-Shirt that looked like it was made out of a very comfortable material. In his arms was a small stack of clothes. 

“They may be a little small considering you've got a few inches on me, but try these.” Levi handed Eren the stack. “I'm going to go call in our order.” 

He disappeared the other way this time. Eren started unfolding the clothes in his arms. There was a pair a dark gray pants with a drawstring, red boxers, and a black T-Shirt with a white moth stenciled on the front, definitely Levi's style. Other than everything being just slightly too short, the clothes fit fine. Eren collected his own clothes from the floor and held them awkwardly away from his body as he made his way out of the bathroom and down the hall. He wasn't entirely sure what to do with them, but he figured Levi probably wouldn't appreciate him leaving them on the bathroom floor, so he planned to maybe pile them next to his shoes. Levi was just setting his phone down when Eren entered the kitchen.

“I can wash those with mine if you want.” Levi nodded to the clothes in Eren's hands.

“Uh, sure.”

Levi walked over to Eren and took the dirty clothes from him. He stopped for the briefest of moments, looking the brunette up and down. He decided he liked the way Eren looked in his clothes. Eren thought he saw a shadow of a smile on Levi's lips as he passed by and collected his own dirty garments from the bathroom floor. Then he returned back down the hall, walked right into Eren's space, and for a moment Eren thought he was going in for a kiss, and his heart started beating faster, but Levi's arm reached behind him and slid aside a small door in the wall Eren hadn't noticed before.

Eren turned his head to see a stacked washer and dryer in a tiny closet behind him, then turned back to Levi who was looking right at him with those intense eyes. Their eyes were locked for a few seconds, and Eren wondered if he would ever not be nervous with Levi so close to him. They were inches apart, and even though they'd both just gotten their rocks off in the shower, Eren couldn't help but look at Levi's bottom lip hungrily.

“You going to move?”

“Yeah, sorry.” Eren stepped to the side and a gave a weird little 'all yours' motion to the closet. 

Levi just rolled his eyes and stuffed the clothes into the washer along with a few towels. He added some soap to the drawer, closed everything up and pushed a button that started the cycle. Then he slid the door closed again, stepped to Eren and gave him the kiss he'd thought he was getting before. Eren wasn't expecting that and it literally took his breath away. Their lips lingered together for moment, and then Levi pulled away.

“They said it would only take ten minutes, so we should probably head down there.”

“Okay.” Eren swallowed, trying to calm the part of himself that was ready for round two.

They slipped their shoes on and made the short trip down the hall and then the elevator. Soft summer air greeted them as they pushed through the lobby doors outside. 

“It's this way.” Levi looked to the left.

Eren stepped up next to him and slid his hand into Levi's as they started walking, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Levi glanced to their clasped hands then straight ahead. The smell of lilacs was on the air again, a warm current tickling over the small hairs on their arms. Soon they passed the source of the aroma, a large lilac bush in front of a closed hair salon. The quiet neighborhood was on a slight hill and the sounds of city nightlife drifted up to them from downtown in a gentle twinkling hum. Their footsteps were light, unhurried patters on the sidewalk beneath them.

“Is this okay?” Eren asked, motioning to their entwined fingers and looking to the man next to him.

Levi glanced over and simply hummed, “Mhm.” with a slight nod. 

“Good, cuz I like touching you.” Eren smiled and swung their hands just slightly.

Levi felt his heart do weird things he didn't remember it was capable of, and silently reprimanded himself for 'turning into a fucking schoolgirl'. He had no response he was willing to say to Eren, so he remained quiet. A few minutes later and they were turning a corner, a bright red and yellow sign hung from the outside of very dingy structure that looked like it had been built directly onto the two apartment buildings it was sandwiched between. The sign was covered in Chinese characters and in smaller letters underneath it read, “Little World Cafe”. 

“This is it.” Levi said as their feet slowed. 

“Wow, you weren't kidding.” Eren was a little skeptical that anything edible could come out of such a place, but he figured he'd put his trust in Levi.

A small brass bell that hung from red rope chimed as they walked through the door. Eren had to admit the place smelled delicious, and was actually really clean just as Levi had said. A very short Asian woman was hunched over behind the counter. She had long gray hair tied in a bun, strands falling around her face, and wrinkled skin. She turned around at the sound of the bell and gave them a smile that multiplied the wrinkles around her mouth. They approached the counter.

“To-go for Reebai?” The woman asked with a thick accent. Obviously she recognized Levi as a regular customer.

“Yes.” Levi answered and handed her his debit card, which from Eren's perspective he had just magically conjured up out of thin air. 

The woman took the card, punched some numbers on a register that looked older than her, then swiped the card in a separate machine. As she waited for it to process, she eyeballed their still connected hands then looked at Levi with a toothy grin and a twinkle in her eye.

“You hab boyfrien now.”

Levi's and Eren's eyes both went wide in surprise, and they simultaneously released their hold on each other. To the old woman they looked like deer caught in headlights. She burst out in a rasping laugh that continued until the receipt printed. She ripped it off and slid it towards Levi with a pen, like she'd done it a thousand times or more, and probably had. 

“You cute couple.” The twinkle never left her eyes. 

Levi thought for sure he might die from embarrassment as he ducked his head lower than he needed to while he wrote in a tip and signed his name. Eren's cheeks were flushed bright red, he was rendered speechless, his mouth slightly open. The raspy laugh erupted again, weathered skin crinkling around the woman's eyes. Levi quickly slid the receipt back to her and replaced the pen in the tin can it had come from. 

“Thank you.” He said with a nod, grabbed the plastic bag holding their food by the knot on the top and headed out of the restaurant. Eren was right behind him.

“Come again!” She called to them and continued to cackle as they exited the shop. 

They quietly retraced their steps back around the corner, walking next to each other, but not holding hands anymore. Besides, the hand closest to Eren was clutching their order, so of course he couldn't hold it. The silence was a little awkward and the brunette felt like it was probably up to him to say something.

“So...she seems very old and nice.” He hadn't actually meant to say 'old', it just sneaked it's way in there.

Levi chuckled a little. He could tell by the way Eren quickly added the words 'and nice' that he hadn't meant to say 'old'. The kid was a gem. “Yeah, she's a very sweet old lady.”

Eren had never heard Levi refer to any human being as 'sweet' before. He didn't sound like he was being sarcastic either, which was surprising. Eren thought it was endearing.

“So you get food there pretty often then huh?”

“I guess so. Often enough that she remembers me.”

“I mean who wouldn't?”

“What?” Levi looked over at Eren.

“Uh, I just mean...like, who wouldn't remember you? You're kind of...stunning.” Eren mumbled. He was hesitant to use the word 'stunning', but he couldn't think of another word that suited the raven-haired man more.

“Oh.” was all Levi said. Stunning? Nobody had ever told him he was stunning before. Eren was constantly throwing compliments at him and he didn't really know how to handle it. 

They passed the lilac bush again and breathed in it's heady scent, but as they approached Levi's building small curls of cigarette smoke shouldered the perfume away. A man was out front leaning against the wall, talking into a cell phone, a freshly lit cigarette bounced between his lips as he talked. The smell coming from it was less of the bad kind and more of the nostalgic kind that might remind you of a vacation or a party from long ago. The man gave them a nod and they nodded back before entering the building and boarding the elevator

As soon as the doors closed, the smell of their dinner filled the tiny space. Eren's mouth was beginning to water.

“So what'd you order?”

Levi looked to the bag in his hand as if to remind himself. “Vegetable lo mein, spring rolls, and the orange chicken you wanted.”

“Yum.” 

In no time they were back inside Levi's apartment kicking their shoes off by the door. Levi set the food on the coffee table and collected a couple plate from the kitchen. Eren wanted to be useful so he refilled their glasses of water from earlier and set them on the coffee table next to the food. They seated themselves on the sofa and unveiled their food, steam puffing out of the small white containers.

“Don't make a mess.” Levi gave Eren a pointed look.

“I won't.” Eren wore his most innocent eyes.

“You want to watch something while we eat?”

“Can we watch more Rick & Morty?”

“I knew you'd like that show.” 

Levi grabbed a remote, flipped through a few option screens and started on the episode that they had been dozing off to last time. They dug into their food, twirling noodles around chopsticks and crunching bites out of the spring rolls.

“Mmm, this is sooo good.” Eren moaned, and for a second Levi thought of Eren's moans in the shower, sending a wave of heat through his body. 

“Told you it was good.”

They ate comfortably, enjoying the food, the entertainment, and each other's company. About halfway through the episode Eren was carrying a piece of orange chicken to his mouth between chopsticks when he laughed at something in the show. The laugh jarred his hold on the chicken and it slipped from between the two wooden sticks. The moment played out like it was in slow motion.

“Shit!” Eren said immediately.

Levi turned at the exclamation and watched with concern as the glistening orange meteor began it's decent to his immaculately clean rug. Eren's eyes were wide in horror, his left hand went into action, fingers splaying out, palm open. He moved his arm underneath just in time, and the morsel landed directly in the center of his hand. 

“Ha ha!” Eren proclaimed exuberantly, looking to Levi with shining eyes.

“You are one lucky son of a bitch.” Levi couldn't believe Eren had caught it.

“That wasn't luck, that was skill.” Eren said with some sass, then he ate the chicken right off his hand, licking the sauce residue from his palm. 

“Tch, fucking savage.”

“Whatever, you like it.” Eren said with his mouthful.

“You wish.” Levi rolled his eyes, but he wore the slightest hint of a smile. 

They were full before they could finish everything and Levi put the leftovers in the fridge and the plates in the kitchen sink. Then they settled in on the couch continuing the series. Each time an episode would end one of them would turn to the other, raise an eyebrow and say, “One more?” to the point where it started to become a joke. 'One more' turned into the entire rest of the first season, during which Eren was always close enough to Levi to feel his warmth and breath in his scent, which Eren had decided was his new favorite smell. When the final episode ended it was 2:30 in the morning. 

Eren yawned and stretched, “I should get home.”

“Okay.” Levi stretched as well and shut the TV off. 

They both stood and sauntered to the door, where Eren slipped his shoes on. 

“Thanks for the Chinese food,...and the shower.” Eren's cheeks flushed a little at the last part. 

“My pleasure.”

Eren found it beyond fascinating how Levi could simultaneously be the crassest person he'd ever met and still somehow come off as so polite sometimes. The raven-haired man was a bottomless well of allure. And Eren was beginning to think it was the only well that could quench his figurative thirst.

“Do you want to do something tomorrow night?” He felt like he could never get sick of Levi, but wasn't so sure if the other man felt the same. 

“I can't. I've got something going on.” 

The words were honest, didn't seem like an excuse, but after talking to Levi about his lack of family and friends, Eren couldn't help but wonder what it could be.

“Like what?”

Levi quirked an eyebrow at the inquiry. “Like none of your business.”

“Psh, fine. I didn't want to know anyway.” Eren put on a very obvious and intentional expression of disinterest. It was clear there was no easy way to get to know Levi, and now Eren was dying to know what Levi had planned, but he'd respect his unwillingness to share. 

“Good.” Levi smirked, then grabbed Eren and pulled him in for a quick kiss that was so innocent it had Eren wondering how it could possibly send such electricity throughout his whole body. “I'll bring your clothes to work on Monday.”

“Oh right, thanks, and I'll bring yours too. Goodnight Levi.” Eren's eyes held the beauty of fireflies.

“Goodnight Eren. Don't run any red lights brat.” He joked as the brunette stepped out the door.

“I'll try not to.” Eren walked away smiling like he'd just had the best day of his life, and maybe he had. 

Armin was asleep when he got home, so Eren quietly brushed his teeth, changed into his own boxers that fit him better, and went to bed. He would never tell Levi, but he fell asleep clutching Levi's shirt, breathing in his scent as he drifted into a contented slumber. 

Levi brushed his teeth, stripped completely, he always slept naked, and fell asleep thinking about the old Chinese lady's words, wondering if he was capable of being someone's boyfriend. Not just someone's, Eren's. He was afraid that he wasn't, but subconsciously hoped that he was.


	12. Take That Old Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is a little shorter than I'd like, but I'm not going to have a chance to write or post more until next week so I wanted to get something up. I've been in a shit mood for the past week, and this was hard to write. So...sorry if it's depressing/disappointing. Hopefully I can make up for it next week.
> 
> Trigger Warnings: Mentions of murder, suicide, cancer and past abuse.

Eren thought about lying to Levi, telling him he lost the shirt or something, just so he could keep it. But after following that train of thought for a minute he decided that would be an asshole thing to do, and might be a little creepy as well. So here he was, washing that beautiful smell out of it so he could give it back to Levi clean.

Eren heard the door unlock and looked up to see Armin walking in. 

“Hey, how was work?”

“It was fine. More importantly, how was your date? You got home pretty late.” Armin wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. 

Eren sighed in reverie. “It was awesome, except for the part where I almost died, but other than that it was perfect. You were right, he does like the beach and ice-cream, chocolate to be specific.”

“Hold on, back up a little. Are you going to elaborate on how you almost died?” Armin wore a look of concern now. “Oh my god Eren, please tell me you didn't try to swim around to the spot again. Remember how I almost drown doing that?”

“No, I didn't, I'm not that dumb. We climbed over. But…I did end up swimming out really far, and I don't really remember how it happened but, it's okay cuz Levi found me and slapped me back to life and I'm fine now.” Eren grinned.

“Whoa, Levi saved you?”

“Yeah, he's pretty amazing.”

“Wait, what do you mean he 'slapped you back to life'?”

“Well, he said he gave me mouth to mouth but that I wasn't responding and so he freaked out and slapped me, and then I woke up.” Eren shrugged.

“Jeez Eren, you need to stop being so reckless all the time. I don't want to lose my best friend.” Armin was scowling with worry.

“It's okay Armin, I'm fine. I'll be more careful. Can we talk about the good things now?”

“Yeah okay.”

They sat on the couch and Eren started telling Armin about the date.

“So after Levi saved me, he covered me in sand, and then I tackled him and then we made-out for a really long time until the tide came in and washed over us. And then he laughed Armin, like really laughed, and I've never seen him laugh like that before. Oh, and earlier I got to rub sunscreen all over his back, but...” 

Eren's excitement died down and his smile fell.

“But what?”

“Well, he has all these really bad scars all over his back. Like a lot of them.”

“Did you ask him about them?”

“No! No way. I get the feeling that something really bad might've happened to him. I didn't want to pry.”

“Good call.”

“Hey, don't say anything to anyone about his scars okay? I probably shouldn't have told you, I kind of feel like a jerk now.”

“Eren, you know me, I'm not going to say anything. Now, I thought you were going to tell me about the good things.”

“Right.”

Eren's smile came back as he proceeded to tell Armin about the rest of the date. Armin had never seen his friend this lit up over someone before, and it made him happy. He didn't have a face to put with the name 'Levi' because Eren had a weird thing about friends not visiting him at work. Something about how it flustered him and made him feel weird. Armin didn't really get it, but whatever. He was dying to know what Levi looked like though.

“And then...we took a shower together.” Eren's face turned beet red. 

Armin gave an excited little gasp and whispered, “Did you guys do it...in the butt?” 

“Armin!” Eren was getting more embarrassed by the second, curling up in a ball. “No, but we did other stuff.”

“Oooo.”

Eren took a deep breath and rushed to avoid having to disclose anymore details. “And then we got Chinese food and the old lady there thought we were a couple and said we were cute together.” Eren beamed. 

“So when do I get to meet this mysterious man? Are you guys going to hang out today?”

“No.” Eren whined. “I wanted to, but he said he has something going on, and when I asked what it was he told me it was none of my business.”

Armin laughed at that. “Well, don't smother him. You guys do work every shift together, he probably wants at least one day away from you. I know I would” Armin teased.

“Hey!” Eren put on an offended face and gave Armin a little shove. 

 

Monday couldn't come fast enough, and when Eren was finally walking through the backdoor for his shift he had to consciously try to bring his excitement down a notch. 

“What are you so happy about?” Sasha asked, gathering her things to leave.

“What? Nothing!” Eren was a little too hasty with his response, so he tried to smooth it out. “Just, had a good weekend that's all.”

“I don't know how you can be in such a good mood knowing you have to work with Levi all night. Sounds like torture to me.” Sasha glanced toward the front to make sure Levi was still out of hearing range.

“Aw come on Sash, he's not that bad.”

“Whatever. Oh hey, some pretty blonde girl came in earlier and asked about you. She was trying to be all nonchalant, but I could tell she's super into you. Are you guys dating or something?”

“Oh, ha ha. No, she just gave me her number last week.”

“Have you called her?”

“No.”

“Eren, you gotta get on that. She's like a nine, she's not going to wait around for you forever.”

Eren was shuffling his feet awkwardly. “Eh, she's not really my type.”

“Wait. Eren…” Realization was dawning on Sasha's face. “are you gay?”

“Um...” Eren looked at the floor and laughed nervously. “yeah?”

“Oooooh, I get it now. No wonder you don't mind working with Levi.”

“What!?” Eren was desperately trying not to blush.

“Well, he's a huge asshole, but he's also ridiculously hot, so I could see how it might not be so bad looking at him all night. You know he's gay too right?” She said suggestively. “But with the way he's always calling you 'brat' I don't think he likes you. Sorry.”

“Oh my god Sasha, shut up.” Eren was trying not to give anything away. “He's pretty much my boss.”

“Just sayin'. Anyway, I'm out of here. Have a good night Eren.” 

Right after Sasha left, Levi pushed through the swinging door into the kitchen. He wore his typical scowl, and the way he walked right up to Eren, grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him into the backroom, made Eren afraid that he was in trouble for something. That fear quickly dispelled however, when he was pushed against the wall and Levi's lips were on his. 

Eren was more than surprised, but it didn't take long for him to start kissing back, tasting Levi. Things were starting to get a little heated, tongues touching, hands in each other's hair when the lock on the backdoor clicked. They shot apart, putting on their most casual faces, just in time for Sasha to walk back in. 

“Forgot my drink...” She said, reaching for it on a shelf. Then she looked at the two of them with narrowed eyes. “K, well...bye.” 

“See-ya.” Eren gave her a little wave. Levi just glared. 

When she was back out the door they looked at each other. Eren had been holding his breath and let out a long sigh.

“That was close.”

“Indeed. Guess we'll have to be more careful.”

The night was busy for the first few hours, then died down for a minute. During the lull an old woman walked in and started hobbling to the counter grinning at Levi.

“Fucking hell.” Levi sighed. “Suzanne's here.”

“Who's Suzanne?”

“I'll explain later. I've got to walk her back. Can you handle it by yourself for a few minutes?”

“Yeah, I'll be fine.”

Levi walked around the counter into the lobby. The old woman walked right up to him, said, “Johnny, my boy!” and wrapped her arms around Levi. He was clearly uncomfortable but didn't push her away, just rolled his eyes. Eren had no idea what was going on, but whatever it was made him laugh. Levi slowly pried his way out of her hug, put a guiding hand on her back, and started walking her back out of the shop. 

“Come on Suzanne, let's get you back home.”

“You know that thing in your lip makes you look kind of scary. I don't like it, I think you should take it out, let my handsome boy's face shine.” 

Eren chuckled to himself as he watched the old lady pat Levi's cheek before they disappeared out of the shop.

Ten minutes later Levi walked back into the shop alone, and came back around the counter. 

“So, what was that all about?”

Levi sighed. “Suzanne lives at that senior center down the street. She has dementia. About a year and a half ago she wandered in here and started calling me her son 'Johnny'. Since then she has managed to sneak past the staff to come here and see me four times, well five now.”

“Wow, that's kinda cute, but also really sad.” 

“Yeah.”

“So does your real mom ever come to visit you?” Eren couldn't help but use the opportunity to try to find out more about Levi. 

“No, she's dead.”

“Oh, sorry. How'd she die?” The question was almost a whisper. Sometimes Eren's curiosity would take over and he'd ask questions before thinking about whether or not he should. 

“I see you're back to nosy brat.”

Eren opened his mouth to apologize for asking, but was surprised to find Levi actually answering his question before he could say anything.

“It was a murder suicide. She killed my dad and then killed herself.” His voice was calm, unwavering, like he could've just been calling out another drink. Levi wasn't sure why he was sharing this with Eren. Normally he'd tell the brat to mind his own business. Guess the kid was really getting to him.

“Oh my god, Levi...” Eren mentally kicked himself for bringing up the topic. “I'm so sorry.”

“It's fine. It happened twenty years ago.” 

Then Levi turned away to help a customer who had just approached the counter, and that was the end of their conversation. Eren felt like an idiot, especially because he noticed that Levi was a lot quieter the rest of the night, seemed to be lost in thought.

The night finally came to a close, Cookie Sniffer being the last one out, after waiting until midnight to use the bathroom, look at all the art, and look at all the business cards again. And this time Levi did say, “I fucking hate that guy.” after locking the door, to which Eren just laughed. They cleaned the shop to metal, something that seemed particularly heavy to Eren. Then before counting the register, Levi shut the music off. Eren finished with the dishes and joined him at the register.

After a tentative moment Eren said, “Hey, I'm sorry for asking about your mom earlier. I didn't mean to be insensitive.”

“Don't worry about it.” He didn't look up from counting. “So what about your mom, you see her often?”

“Um, actually, my mom's dead too. Died from cancer about five years ago. But, I still got my dad, even though he's kind of a jerk sometimes...but I think it's just cuz he misses my mom.”

“Sorry to hear that.”He gave a small glance to Eren.

Eren just shrugged and looked away. 

They locked the money away, both in a somber mood.

“So, are you staying for beer tonight?” Eren asked.

“Nah, I'm pretty tired. I'm just going to head home.” And he did look pretty tired. 

“Okay.”

Eren was disappointed they wouldn't be hanging out, but was honestly feeling a little down after talking about his mom, and could understand that despite him acting like it wasn't a big deal, Levi might feel the same. They exchanged clothes, gathered their things, and locked the shop behind them. They walked their usual path down the alleyway in silence to the sidewalk where they stopped. 

“Goodnight Eren.”

“Night Levi. See you tomorrow.”

The mood on Tuesday was significantly lighter. Sasha lingered a little longer than she normally did, watching Eren and Levi. But they knew what she was up to and kept a good distance from each other. When her suspicions had been significantly quelled, she left wearing a look of what might be described as disappointment.

“I thought she'd never fucking leave.” 

“Yeah, I think she suspects something after yesterday.”

“Oh well.” Levi sighed. “Americano race?” 

Eren nodded. The raven-haired man seemed a little lethargic today, eyes slightly red, like he hadn't slept well. Eren wondered if it had anything to do with their conversation yesterday. They whipped up their drinks with skill and set them on the prep table in the kitchen as usual. Just then a customer walked to the counter with an empty mug in hand, looking for some help.

“Ah fuck, hold on, let me get this asshat a refill.” Levi pushed through to the front and refilled the customer's coffee.

Eren laughed to himself. It didn't matter who it was, could be the nicest person ever, and Levi would still throw out some expletive. Not to their face of course, unless they deserved it, which did happen occasionally.

“Alright, you ready?” Levi pushed back into the kitchen.

“So ready.” Eren was feeling confident today.

After a “1, 2, 3, go.”, they were drinking with all their might. Eren could feel a brain freeze coming on already, but he mentally pushed it away and powered through to the end, then slammed his hand down on the counter. A half a second later, Levi's hand followed.

“Oh ho ho! Take that old man! I finally fucking beat you!” 

Eren was simultaneously clutching at the brain freeze that caught up to him and celebrating by waving a fist in the air as he yelled. It was a comical sight, his eyes squinting in pain, yet a triumphant smile plastered on his face. It took all of Levi's will-power not to smile at it.

“Tch, barely.” He scoffed. “And cut it with the 'old man' shit.”

“Only if you cut it with the 'brat' shit.” 

Levi narrowed his eyes. “Never.”

“Fine, no deal then...old man.” 

“Don't let your single victory go to your head, brat.”

“As I recall, I beat you in checkers. So that would be two victories.” Eren held up two fingers. 

“Fuck you.”

“Please do.”

Levi raised an eyebrow at that. Eren was smiling like the cocky shit he was being. Levi was smirking back dangerously. Their eyes were hungry for each other, like two predators ready to pounce on a meal. 

“You want to close up early? Have a rematch?” 

“Can we?” Eren's eyes lit up with excitement, as if that would actually be a possibility. 

“No you idiot.” Levi rolled his eyes.

“Awww, jerk.” Eren pounted. “You got my hopes up.”

Levi chuckled. Sometimes Eren's naivete was just fucking adorable. “Sorry brat, but the rematch will have to wait until after midnight.”


	13. Fuck The Rematch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what to say about this chapter other than that writing it may have caused permanent damage to my heart, but that could've been the quad shot americano I had beforehand. Read at your own risk.

The shift was fairly uneventful, no douchebags or old ladies to deal with, but enough business that they were kept occupied the whole time. Cookie Sniffer didn't make an appearance all night, to Levi's satisfaction. It was a little after close now, front door locked, and the two of them were working on cleaning the shop. 

“Seriously,” Levi had emerged from one of the bathrooms, scowl on his face, and was now standing in the kitchen while Eren washed dishes. “What the fuck is wrong with people?”

“More pubes?” Eren looked over his shoulder.

“No, just an entire fucking novel in the toilet.”

“What?” Eren stopped washing for a moment to face Levi.

“Someone ripped up a whole fucking book and tried to flush it down the toilet. Must have been a shit story.” 

Eren laughed. “Really?”

“Really. This is going to take me a minute.”

“You want me to just go ahead and do the register if you're not done?”

“Yeah, that's fine.” Levi turned and stalked back into the bathroom. 

When he finally emerged from the bathroom, toilet functional again, Eren was finishing up with the register. Levi disposed of his gloves and washed his hands, and arms, twice. Then he joined Eren at the register.

“You done?” He looked pissed. 

“Yep.” Eren zipped up the money bag. 

“Good, I'm tired of waiting.”

Eren was snatched by the shirt and pulled down onto Levi's lips. His kisses were aggressive, hungry. Eren dropped the money bag on the counter and put his hands on Levi, pulling him in closer, moaning into the kisses. Their lips slid over each other fluidly, Eren toying with the lip ring. Their hands were all over each other, Eren's sliding underneath Levi's shirt, touching his warm skin, until he wanted a better angle and actually picked Levi up, to his surprise, and sat him on the counter. Now Eren was standing between Levi's legs, hands resuming their position under his shirt. 

“What about the rematch?” Eren pulled away for a moment, breathing hard.

“Fuck the rematch.” Levi pulled him back in, nibbled at his bottom lip.

“Aw, but I really wanted to beat you again.” Eren muttered against Levi's lips.

“You're such a little shit.” Levi muttered back and bit Eren's lip a little extra hard.

“Ow.” Eren whined, but was clearly not in any real pain. 

“Shut up.” 

“Shouldn't I at least put the money away?” Eren pulled back a little again.

“Oh my god, fine.”

“I'll be fast.” Eren snatched the money bag up, jogged to the safe, locked it up and was back between Levi's legs in no time.

They were kissing hard again, mouths open, tongues licking at each other. Eren's hands were back under Levi's shirt, touching his waist, and he slowly started to slide the shirt up, but was stopped by Levi's hands. 

“There are cameras in here.” Levi shook his head. 

“Oh right. Damnit.” 

“We can walk to my place if you want.”

“Yeah,” Eren nodded. “Let's do that.”

They shut the lights off and locked up in a hurry. The walk to Levi's building really wasn't that long, but it felt like an eternity to the two of them. As soon as they were in the elevator they were kissing again, too impatient to wait. They even forgot to push the button for Levi's level, and were confused when the doors reopened on the ground floor. They chuckled at each other, out of breath, and Levi pushed the button. They had to separate to walk down the hall, but immediately after entering Levi's apartment they were back all over each other, mouths pressed together, clumsily kicking their shoes off. 

Now safely out of camera view, Eren didn't waste a second stripping Levi's shirt off and running his hands over Levi's chest and stomach. 

“Someone's in a hurry.” Levi teased.

“I just...want to see you.” Eren breathed, taking in the sight of Levi's exposed skin. “You're so fucking hot I can't even handle it.”

Eren was kissing Levi again, licking into his mouth, one hand in his hair, the other sliding around to his back, and Levi couldn't help the small moan that escaped him. He grasped the hem of Eren's shirt and stripped it off of him, feeling the warmth of the brunette's skin on his own. And then Levi was leading them to his bedroom, lips locked in passionate motions, feeling their way down the hall and through a doorway. He flipped a switch and a crimson lamp in the corner lit up, casting a low glow throughout the room. 

In a moment Eren was being pushed onto black satin sheets, Levi climbing on top of him, kissing over his jaw and down his neck. He was breathing hard, heart pounding, as Levi inched his way lower kissing over his collar bones and down his chest until Levi was sucking on one of his nipples, gave it a small bite. Eren inhaled sharply at the sensation. Then Levi was going even lower, hands working to undo Eren's pants, lips caressing that sensitive spot between his hip and groin. Soon Eren's pants, as well as his boxers, were littered on the floor, and Levi's mouth slipped over the head of his stiff erection. 

“Fuck...” Eren breathed out in ecstasy. 

Levi took Eren deep, as far as he could, tongue licking around him, sucking hard as he slid back off with a small 'pop'. 

“Still want to play checkers?” Levi smirked, breathing heavily. 

“No.” Eren shook his head. “I never want to play checkers again if this is the alternative.”

Levi chuckled at that and then slid his mouth back over Eren's cock, licking and sucking in long motions, eliciting beautiful sounds of pleasure from the brunette. Eren was dripping with pre-cum and Levi licked up every bit of it. He stopped for a moment, looking up at Eren with lust. 

“I love the way you taste.” His voice was thick with desire. 

Eren's response was a moan as Levi took all of him again, as deep as possible, then slid back off. Levi stood, removed the rest of his clothes, and grabbed a bottle of lube from a drawer in a nightstand next to the bed. Then he was back on the bed, lips and tongue running over Eren's length as he spread the slippery substance over the fingers of his right hand. He paused for a moment, looking to Eren.

“We don't have to, if you're not ready.” Levi was trying to read Eren's expression.

“I want you so bad, you have no idea.” Eren's heart was pounding so hard he thought it might burst. 

“You have to tell me if I'm hurting you.”

“K.”

With that Levi's mouth was back on Eren's cock, and a single slender finger slid between Eren's cheeks to his entrance. He gasped and spread his legs wider, giving Levi more room to work. Levi teased Eren for a moment before gently pushing his finger in halfway. A small cry broke from Eren's lips. He was panting. 

“You good?”

“Yeah.” Eren could hardly speak.

“Just try to relax, and don't forget to breath.” Levi's lips twitched into a small smile. 

“Right.” Eren took a deep breath trying to un-tense. 

He gave Eren a second to adjust before sliding his finger the rest of the way in. Eren was tight and warm, and after a moment of exploration, Levi found what he was looking for. He curled his finger gently, eyes on Eren's face. Eren ihaled sharply, eyes squeezing shut, followed by a long moan. He felt like electricity was running through his nerves, in a good way. 

Levi slid his finger out and then carefully pushed back in with two fingers this time. Once he was sure Eren wasn't in any pain, he got back to work, lips and tongue sliding over Eren's length, fingers moving gently. Eren was coming completely undone, writhing under Levi's touch, head back, one hand clutching Levi's dark locks, the other grasping at the sheets. He wasn't going to last long, not with Levi fingering him like that, and that tongue licking over the head of his dick. 

“Levi...”he gasped, couldn't finish the sentence.

Just another minute or two, a few more licks and sucks, and those fingers brushing that spot again and Eren's body twitched in release, spilling into Levi's mouth, clenching around his fingers. A wave of pure ecstasy washed over his body to the very tips of his fingers, skin alight with a tingling sensation. When he was sure Eren was finished, Levi carefully slid off his length, swallowed, and licked his lips.

As soon as Eren could speak again, he looked at Levi with those bright green eyes, pupils blown wide, and said, “Fuck me. Please.”

“You sure?” Levi raised a questioning eyebrow.

Eren nodded, “I need all of you.” His chest was heaving with deep breaths.

“Stop me if I hurt you.” Levi grabbed the lube again and poured a generous amount in his hand. 

“I will.”

Levi slid the lube over his hard-on and positioned himself against Eren, tip pressed to his entrance. He made sure to go slow, eyes watching Eren for any sign of pain. Eren moaned at the intrusion, but seemed to be alright. Levi was breathing heavy with the effort of controlling his speed, breaths shaky. He pushed in a little further. Eren moaned again.

“Okay?”

“Yeah.” Eren breathed out nodding.

Then Levi was pushing in even further. He let out a long moan. “Fuck, you're tight.”

He gave Eren a moment to catch his breath, and then he started moving gently, slowly sliding back and forth. 

“I love how you feel inside of me.” Eren groaned. 

Levi increased his speed a little, leaned down and pressed his lips to Eren's, slid his tongue inside. Eren could taste himself on Levi's tongue like before, and once more found it strangely arousing. They were kissing hard, tongues intertwining, moaning against each other's lips. Levi was moving more aggressively now, couldn't hold back anymore. He could feel Eren's cock growing hard again between them and leaned back, looking down at Eren.

“Touch yourself.” He commanded.

Once again Eren was treading on new ground. He'd never touched himself in front of anyone before, and as he wrapped his hand around his own dick and started stroking, his cheeks flushed pink.

“Fuck that's hot.” Levi was looking down at Eren, eyes filled with ardor. “I'm not going to last long with this view.”

“Me either.” Eren could barely get the words out. 

Levi slid in and out, watching as Eren stroked himself, cheeks still flushed pink, moans breaking from his lips. They got into a rhythm, breathing hard, beads of sweat breaking out. Eren's tight warmth was like heaven around Levi's member, and he groaned deeply. And suddenly all the sensation Eren was feeling overwhelmed him and he came again with a small cry, spilling onto his stomach. 

“Fuck...Eren.” Levi choked out.

As Eren orgasmed his muscles clenched tighter around Levi and that was Levi's breaking point. He came hard, immediately after Eren, moaning with him, hands clutching his legs. Waves of pleasure washed over him, rippling outward, muscles trembling, and when he finally regained control of his body he leaned down and pressed his lips to Eren's. It was a languid kiss, drenched with their after-glow, broken by little pants for air. When the kiss was over, Levi leaned back and gently pulled out of Eren, who groaned at the movement.

“You okay?”

Eren blinked up at Levi, eyes heavy with contentment, and smiled. “I am way more than okay.” He kind of laughed. His hair was a mess, skin glowing with a thin sheen of sweat. He looked positively ravaged. 

“Good. Come on, let's shower off.” He smiled back at Eren and extended a hand to help him up. 

They washed up, sharing lazy kisses as they moved around each other, rinsing under the shower-head water, and when they got out all cleaned up Eren yawned, clearly tired. Before he could chicken out, and against his normal behavior, Levi said, “It's late and you seem pretty tired. If you don't feel like walking home, you could spend the night here, if you want. I have a spare toothbrush you can have too.”

Eren was a little surprised, hadn't anticipated the offer. “Really? You wouldn't mind?”

“Not at all.” was what he voiced, but inside he was freaking out a little. Levi had never shared his bed with anyone, not in that way. But it was too late now, he'd already trapped himself into the situation.

“Okay, sure.”

Levi gave him the toothbrush. They took turns in the bathroom, getting ready for sleep. Levi decided he'd at least wear boxers tonight, rather than go completely naked, and Eren did the same. They both grabbed a drink of water, then Levi shut the lights off, and they climbed under the sheets. The bed was queen sized, comfortable, plenty of room for the both of them.

“You better not hog the fucking sheets.”

Eren laughed. “I'll try not to. Goodnight old man.” 

“Night brat.”

Eren would've liked to snuggle up next to him, but Levi didn't really seem like the cuddling type, and Eren thought that maybe if there was a next time he'd be brave enough to try then. It didn't take long for them to both drift off, and soon they were both in a deep sleep.

That was until a sound woke Eren. When his eyes first fluttered open, taking in the unfamiliar room around him, he was confused about where he was. But after a few seconds he remembered he was in Levi's bed, sleeping next to the man, and smiled. Then he realized that a noise had woken him, and held still, listening for it. There was nothing but silence for a moment, and then he heard it again, a choked sob, a sound that instantly made his heart hurt, and it came from Levi. Eren turned carefully toward him, wondering if he was asleep or awake, and found that he was clearly still sleeping. Curled up on his side, having some sort of nightmare. 

Eren wasn't sure what to do. Should he wake Levi up? Let him sleep? Then Levi made that heartbreaking sound again and Eren couldn't let him stay in whatever horrible reality he was stuck in. So he cautiously set a hand on Levi's shoulder, gave him a gentle shake, and whispered “Levi.” Levi stirred, but didn't wake, and Eren thought he may have muttered the word 'No'. Eren tried again, a slightly rougher shake, voice a little louder.

“Levi, wake up.”

Suddenly Levi's hand grasped Eren's arm, and before Eren knew what was happening, Levi was pinning him to the bed, left hand holding his arm down, right hand wrapped tightly around his throat. 

“Don't fucking touch me!” Levi growled.

He was scowling down at Eren dangerously. There was a look of pure hatred and pain in his gray eyes, tears streaming from them, his brow creased. Eren could tell he wasn't fully awake, was stuck somewhere between dream and reality. Levi's hand on his throat was too tight, squeezing, and Eren couldn't breath, couldn't move with Levi's weight holding him down. He was genuinely afraid. His heart was beating wildly and he was starting to get light-headed from the lack of oxygen. 

“Levi.” He wheezed. “Please...wake up.”

Levi was glaring straight into Eren's wide eyes, grip tightening, and then he blinked and it was like a haze lifted from him, the expression of anger fading away. He blinked a few more times, like he was trying to comprehend the situation, and then suddenly a look of horror crossed his face and he quickly withdrew his hand from Eren's neck like he'd been burned. Eren coughed, taking in large gulps of air. 

“Shit...Eren...I'm sorry.” Levi moved away, was breathing raggedly, looking at the hand that had been on Eren's throat, it was trembling. He ran his other hand through his hair. Then he looked to Eren with sincere worry in his eyes. “Are you okay?”

Eren pushed himself up, catching his breath, and touched at his throat. “I'm alright.” Then he looked to Levi and said, “Are you okay?”

Levi realized then that he had tears streaming down his cheeks and brought his arm up to wipe them away, hands still trembling. “I'm so sorry Eren.”

“Hey, it's okay. You were asleep, it's fine.” Eren's heart was still beating fast, but he really was unharmed. 

“No, it's not fine Eren, I was choking you!” Levi seemed to be barely holding himself back from a state of panic, head in his hands, fingers threading through his hair. 

Eren reached a hand out and grabbed Levi's arm softly. “I'm not hurt Levi. It's really okay.” Then he gave Levi a small smile and added, “I probably could've pushed you off, I was just surprised that's all.”

Eren was lying. There was no way he could have overpowered Levi's grasp, not when it was combined with that look of hatred he'd been wearing. But Eren had never seen such an expression of pain on anyone's face before, especially Levi in that moment, and it was tearing Eren apart inside. He'd say anything to get Levi back to normal. 

Levi was gauging Eren's response, didn't believe him, but relaxed a little, and it was most likely just because Eren was still giving him that small reassuring smile.

“Plus, I shouldn't have tried to wake you up. I tried to wake Mikasa up from a nightmare once and she punched me in the face. Should have learned my lesson then.” Eren laughed a little. That wasn't a lie, that had actually happened, and it had hurt. 

Levi let out a shaky sigh, wiped a hand across his face to remove any remainder of tears, and asked, “You sure you're okay? I didn't hurt you?”

“Positive.” Eren's heart was finally calming down.

There was silence for a minute, Levi was still trying to gather himself. The room was a watery dark blue, moonlight mixing with the glow of streetlamps below, creeping in through the slits in the blinds and casting shadows across them. 

“So...” Eren's voice was timid. “Does that happen a lot?”

“What, choking people?” The words were laced with bitterness.

“No, nightmares.”

“Yeah.” Levi breathed out, ran another hand through his messy hair. “Almost every night. I should've thought about that before I invited you to stay, I'm sorry.”

“It's okay. I'm sorry...about the nightmares.”

“Not your fault.” Levi seemed almost back to his normal self, placid expression, except for a slight redness around his eyes. “I'll go sleep on the couch, you can have the bed.”

He made a move to leave, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

“What? No, you don't have to do that.” 

“Eren.” He looked over his shoulder at the brunette.

“Stay here, with me.” Green eyes held an earnestness. “If you have another nightmare I won't bother you, I'll stay away.”

Levi was about to protest, but Eren wasn't going to let him.

“And if you get violent, I'll fight back.”

Levi looked away in thought, he didn't like the idea. 

“Please.” Eren pleaded with puppy eyes. “I like sleeping next to you.”

Levi let out a long sigh. “Fine.” It was hard to say 'no' to that face. “But only if you promise to fight back.”

“Promise.” Eren nodded. 

Levi gave Eren an indiscernible look and then reluctantly slid back under the sheets.

“Yes.” Eren whispered in victory, then slid up next to Levi, resting a hand on his chest. 

“Eren,” Levi regarded the brunette's proximity and touch with worry. “I don't know if that's a good idea.”

“It'll be fine.” He looked to Levi with an overconfident smile and those puppy eyes again.

“God damnit.” Levi muttered and rolled his eyes, but didn't move away.

Eren fell asleep like that, snuggled up next to Levi's side, hand on his chest. Levi lay there, staring at the ceiling, occasionally glancing over to Eren's calm face, looking at his long brown lashes, the pale pink of his lips, parted slightly with soft breaths. Levi was tired, hadn't slept well the night before, but he was keeping himself awake, was afraid of hurting Eren again, afraid of himself. It was futile though, with the brat pressed up so close and warm, the silence and darkness of the room. Eventually, despite a long struggle, his eyes fluttered shut into a deep sleep, one that was, thankfully, without any further terrors.


	14. You're Kidding Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a bit since I last updated. I usually have a lot of downtime at my job, which is where I do all of my writing, but this last week or so I actually had to do some real work, imagine that?

“Levi, sweetie, wake up.” The voice was quiet, feminine, filled with an urgency and suppressed fear. “I need you to hide under the bed again okay? Can you do that for me?”

“Mom?” It was his own voice, but small and confused, far away...the voice of a child.

Levi's eyes snapped opened. 

He blinked and focused on the ceiling, the ceiling of his room, in his apartment...the last being the most important part. He let out a soft sigh of relief. A dream. He could feel that his eyes were damp, small beads of sweat on his forehead. His heart was pounding, and when he noticed a foreign hand on his chest he almost pushed it off in fear, but stopped himself, because he knew somehow that it should be there. That it was okay. 

He turned his head slowly to see soft morning light playing over Eren's peaceful features, highlighting strands of his brown hair and lashes giving them a golden shimmer. The sight slowed the lingering fear in his heart, and the dream seemed to dissolve a little faster than it normally would have. Levi quietly let out a long breath and relaxed. 

They were in the same position they'd fallen asleep in, hadn't moved at all. Levi kept still, didn't want to wake Eren, and let his mind drift over the events of last night as he stared at the light dancing across the ceiling. His memory started with the end of their shift, how they'd been so hungry for each other, might have taken each other on the shop counter if he hadn't stopped it. Then how they'd come back here, to his apartment, where Eren had been so eager to have him...'I need all of you'. Eren beneath him, panting and touching himself, cheeks flushed pink. The thoughts were flowing through him down to his groin. 

But his mind kept going, and soon a different image of Eren beneath him filled his mind's eye, one in the dark. His own hand on Eren's throat, only it hadn't been Eren, it had been someone else, squeezing, all that anger that had been coursing through him. Wide green eyes filled with fear, and then Eren's desperate plea that had broken him from his unconscious state. 

Levi slowly turned his head to look back at Eren, eyes scanning his neck, catching the faintest red silhouette of his own hand. His brow furrowed with concern. Without a sound he reached his free hand over to Eren and gently touched at the light bruise with his fingertips. Eren stirred ever so slightly. A sickening feeling of guilt filled Levi's gut, he swallowed hard and whispered, “I'm sorry.” Then he carefully lifted Eren's arm off of himself, and slid away, out of the sheets. He sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, head in his hands, eyes focused on nothing. Then he looked back at Eren's neck and felt nauseous. He needed some air. 

When Eren woke he found that he was alone in Levi's bed. He looked around the room for a minute, then sat up and brought a hand to his throat. It was a little bit sore, but not too bad. Eren thought for a moment about what had happened, Levi's nightmare, and for a second the fear he had felt pinned beneath that rage revisited him. But then he remembered the look of pain and horror that had been on Levi's face when he'd realized what he'd done, the tears he'd wiped away with trembling hands, and Eren's heart just ached. Eren had been afraid, no denying that, but after witnessing Levi in that vulnerable state, learning how he was constantly tortured by nightmares, Eren couldn't let him go sleep alone on the couch, no way. So he had done his best to convince Levi to stay, and it had worked. Levi had even let him cuddle up next to him, which Eren had done just as much for Levi's sake as his own. He'd thought that maybe it would help calm him down, help him sleep, and maybe it had. He could hope anyway. 

Eren got up and dressed himself in his clothes from yesterday. He quietly left Levi's room and saw that the bathroom was empty. After a quick pee and teeth brushing he felt significantly refreshed. He examined his neck in the mirror, saw just a hint of a bruise that was only noticeable up close. Then he left the bathroom, looking for the raven-haired man. The kitchen was empty, and so was the living room. Eren was starting to think that Levi wasn't even in the building, but then he noticed that the balcony door was opened a crack. He ventured over to investigate and found Levi, fully dressed, leaning against the balcony railing. Steam swirled out of mug in his hand, he was staring out over the city, seemed lost in thought. 

Eren just stood there for a moment watching him, admiring his beautiful profile. Then he slowly pushed through the door to join him, stepping up next to him at the railing. 

“Hey.” He gave Levi a small smile. 

“Hey.” Levi glanced over at him, then back out over the city.

They were quiet for a moment, just the sounds of cars and people below drifting up. Then Eren spoke.

“Whatchya drinking?”

Levi looked down at the mug as if he'd forgotten about it, then responded, “Uh, Earl Grey. You want some?” He offered the mug to Eren.

“Sure.” Eren took the mug. 

“Careful, it's still hot as hell.”

Eren blew softly on the beverage, inhaling the scent, then took a cautious sip. He swallowed and handed the mug back to Levi. “Tea huh? I thought you were more of a coffee kind of guy.”

Levi took a sip himself, then said, “I like both. I just save my coffee drinking for our americano races.”

It was such a small thing, just a casual statement, but it made Eren's heart flutter, and before he could stop himself he leaned over and kissed Levi on the cheek. Levi blinked in surprise at the soft kiss, then turned to face the brunette.

“Eren, I'm sorry about last night.”

Eren shook his head softly and replied, “You don't need to keep apologizing.”

“You said I didn't hurt you, but I did.” Levi's eyes washed over Eren's neck and then blinked to the ground.

“It's just a light bruise...barely noticeable.”

“I shouldn't have stayed, I should have moved to the couch.” He looked back out at the city.

“Whatever, it was fine. You didn't have anymore nightmares right?”

Levi looked back to Eren and sighed, “You're way too reckless for your own good.”

“Yeah...”Eren rolled his eyes. “That's what everyone keeps telling me.”

“Well maybe you should listen to them.”

“Nah...I'm like a cat, with nine lives.” Eren smiled. 

“Oh really? And how many of those lives do you have left? Like two?” Levi quirked an eyebrow.

“Eh...” Eren seemed to think for a minute, then joked, “yeah. Maaaybe three.” He grinned at Levi with that charming smile. 

Levi narrowed his eyes at Eren, but his expression wasn't as serious. The brat was a fucking expert at lightening the mood.

They just stood there, looking at each other for a while. Then Eren stepped closer to Levi, took the mug from his hand and carefully set it down. He stood back up, slid a hand behind Levi's head and brought their lips together. 

The kiss was slow, intimate, tasting of flowers and citrus from the tea. Their mouths were passionate, but in a different way, not aggressive, but soft, almost teasing with how light they were. It lasted a minute, maybe two, then Eren pulled back slightly and opened his eyes to look into Levi's.

“As far as I'm concerned, last night was amazing, and you have nothing to be sorry for.” Eren's voice was a deep whisper. “And I'm glad you invited me to stay. I wasn't lying when I said I like sleeping next to you.”

Levi blinked back at the brunette's honesty. He found Eren so surprising, sometimes his innocence would betray how young and inexperienced he really was, but then there were moments like this one, when Eren seemed so emotionally mature and astute. Not to mention his incredibly resilient positivity.

“How can someone like you even exist?” Levi said, shaking his head softly.

Eren smiled, “What do you mean?”

“I've just never met anyone like you before, and...” He was trying to find the right words, biting at his lip ring in thought, but couldn't quite figure out how to voice what he was thinking. “I just...don't know how to handle you.” 

“You can handle me anyway you want.” Eren's lips slowly turned into a suggestive smirk. 

Levi rolled his eyes at that and smirked back. “Always so eager...”

“Well it's your fault.” Eren was moving his mouth closer to Levi's. “Maybe you should tone down the sexiness a little. If that's even possible…”

“Tch.” Levi scoffed, but a pale shade of pink dusted his cheeks. 

Their mouths were pressed together again, a little more heated this time, a little rougher. Hands moving around and over each other, when a buzzing noise came from Eren's pocket. He ignored it, continued sliding his lips over Levi's, savoring the lingering perfume of the Earl Gray. But the phone buzzed again, and then again. 

They separated, Eren sighed, and pulled out his phone. He had three texts, all from Armin:

“Hey, where are you?”

“Hope you're okay...maybe with Levi?”

“Don't forget you promised to help me study for my test tomorrow before you go to work.”

 

Eren read the texts quickly, then looked back to Levi. “Forgot to tell Armin I was staying here last night. Now he's all worried. Aaaaand I have to help him study for some dumb test tomorrow.”

“Test?”

“Yeah, he only has this one last class to finish before he can graduate and move on to grad school. So he's taking it now during Summer semester, to get it over with.”

“I see. Well don't let me keep you.”

“Yeah...guess I should take off then.”

They moved back inside, Levi snatching the tea up and closing the door. He put the mug in the sink while Eren gathered his things. Then they were at the door saying their goodbyes. 

“Good luck with the studying. See you later tonight.”

“Oh right, yeah,” Eren chuckled a little, had almost forgotten that they would back together at work for another shift that night. “See you soon.”

 

Eren went home and helped Armin study, after, of course, Armin pried for details about the night and Eren almost became the first person to actually die from embarrassment. He most certainly left out a lot of the finer, more...erotic details, but in the end Armin got the gist. Eren didn't tell him about Levi's nightmare, that was too personal, and he didn't need Armin getting all worried about it. And Armin didn't notice the ghost of a bruise around his neck at all, to Eren's relief. 

Levi changed and went for a run, came home and performed his usual strength training routine. Squats, crunches, push-ups, chin-ups, all of it. He stretched, showered, considered shaving, but figured he could get away with one more day, then settled down to read for a while before setting off to work. He liked all kinds of books; classics, poetry, fantasy, science (especially psychology related stuff), history, you name it. But if someone were to ask him what his favorite genre was, he'd probably tell them dystopian science fiction.

Soon enough it was 4:45 and Levi was walking through the back door of Cafe Rose. He was surprised to find Eren already there, cleaning things up the way he liked them. 

“You're early.”

“Yeah…I couldn't take it anymore. I mean I love Armin and all, but...” Eren sighed. “one more round of flashcards and I was going to blow my own brains out.”

Levi chuckled.

“He already knows all this stuff too! It's not like he actually needs any help with it!”

“Maybe he just wanted an excuse to spend some time with you.” Levi shrugged.

Eren paused, he hadn't thought about that. He had been away from the apartment quite a bit this last week. “Gaaah, you're probably right. Now I just feel like a jerk.”

Levi was about to tell Eren not to beat himself up too much, but just then the backdoor opened, and a tall blonde man with wide shoulders stepped into the kitchen with them. He had light eyes shadowed by thick brows and a pleasant smile, a face that some may consider handsome. Erwin Smith, owner of Cafe Rose, as well as a few other establishments. 

“Erwin.” Levi nodded.

“Levi.”

Erwin returned the nod and then stepped to Eren extending his hand. “Eren, it's a pleasure to see you again.”

“Uh, yeah, you too Mr. Smith.” Eren shook Erwin's large hand and returned his smile.

“Please, call me Erwin. I hope Cafe Rose has been treating you well. Are you liking it here so far?”

“Yeah, it's great.” Eren replied. “I like it a lot, thanks.”

“Good to hear.” He said, then turned to face Levi. “I was hoping I could have a moment with you privately Levi.”

“Of course.” Levi resisted the urge to glance to Eren. Kept his face unreadable. What could this be about?

“Wonderful. Back at the desk will be just fine.”

Eren watched Levi follow Erwin out of the kitchen and in the direction of the tiny office area that Hanji did all the computer work at. He remembered Levi's words from last night 'There are cameras in here.' and his mind started racing as well as his heart. Had Erwin been watching the cameras? Seen them making out? Was Levi going to get fired? Was he going to get fired? But if that was the case, why was Erwin so nice to him just now? What if Levi got fired and he didn't? Or maybe this was about that douchebag that Levi had kicked out...maybe that guy had filed a complaint or something...or…

Eren had always hated the word 'privately', thought it was weird when it was used in school or work settings because the word always felt to him like it had a sexual connotation. He couldn't help the train of thought that came next. Erwin meeting with Levi 'privately'...'the desk will be just fine'...he imagined himself walking back there to find Levi on the desk...at Erwin's mercy...'privately'...

Eren let out a little huff of air through his nose, like a bull getting ready to charge. He realized he was scowling at the ground and that his hands were clenched into fists at his side. Thinking like this wasn't helping anything. He'd just have to wait until they were finished, finished...done, talking, and then ask Levi about it later on. He relaxed his hands and pushed through the swinging door to the front where Sasha was finishing up the midshift checklist. 

“I can finish the list up for you if you want to take off.” Eren offered. He needed to do something, keep his hands busy.

“Uh...really?” Sasha was a little surprised. “Okay, cool.” She wasn't going to say no to getting out of a little work, being able to leave a few minutes early. “Thanks Eren.”

“No problem.”

 

“Please, have a seat.” Erwin motioned to a chair.

Levi sat, and Erwin leaned against the small desk facing him. 

“So, Levi, you've been here quite a while now. What...five years?”

Levi nodded. 

“You've been great here, it's suited you well, but, I can tell you're getting bored.”

Levi still wasn't sure exactly where this conversation was going, so he just listened, waited for Erwin to continue.

“What I'm saying is, I think a new environment would be good for you. And I happen to be in need of someone with your skills at Sina.”

Sina? Levi quirked a brow at that. He hadn't been expecting the conversation to go in this direction.

“For years now I've been running the show at Sina, all of it, and it's a lot to handle.” Erwin let out a tired chuckle. “Business has been steadily increasing and what I really need now is someone to take a little bit off my hands. I want you to manage the bar. With you handling that part of the business, I'd be able to focus more of my time on the kitchen, the wait staff, and the floor.”

Levi considered this for a moment and Erwin could tell he wasn't sold on the idea, yet.

“Your pay would significantly increase of course. Not only your wage, but Sina is a high end restaurant after-all, and the tips are decent. You would have to wear a uniform, but it's classy, all black, which I don't think you'll have a problem with.” Erwin looked over Levi's outfit which was currently all black.

Levi thought for a moment, then asked, “Would I have to take my piercing out?”

“No.” Erwin shook his head. “I have no problem with piercings or tattoos, that's your business.”

“What about Cafe Rose?”

“We have a really solid team here right now, due in large part to your help with hiring and training. I think Eren can handle being the lead barista at night, and I already have someone in mind to take over your shifts.”

Levi was still thinking, taking in everything Erwin was throwing at him. 

“Despite what some may think, I know you've grown pretty attached to this place. I have no problem with you maintaining access to all the benefits of being a barista here, you'd still be able to come in and make yourself coffee whenever you like. What do you say?”

The offer was not bad. Erwin was right, Levi had been growing tired of Cafe Rose and all that came with it. But now, working with Eren…things were...different? Still, a pay increase would be nice, and so would a new environment. When it came down to it though, Levi had no form of transportation, and Sina was a lot farther from his apartment than Cafe Rose. It wouldn't be plausible to walk there, and public transit stopped running at midnight. If he was going to be working the bar he'd be there at least until 2 AM. 

“I appreciate the offer Erwin, but I don't own a car, and getting to and from Sina would be difficult with public transit.” Levi was so torn right now. In all honesty, the only thing that he'd want to stay at Cafe Rose for was the time he got to spend with Eren, and they could still see each other outside of work.

“I thought you might say that.” Erwin gave him a knowing smile. “And I have a solution for you.”

“Oh?” Levi raised an eyebrow. “And what is this solution?”

“I give you a form of transportation.” Erwin was still smiling at him in that weird way.

“What?” Levi didn't know what the fuck Erwin was talking about. 

Erwin adjusted his position against the desk. “I recently made the mistake of buying a new motorcycle for my collection without doing much research, or even test driving it. I just thought it looked pretty, so I bought it. Turns out it's quite small, for me at least. But for you...it would be perfect. I'm not interested in making the money back on it. It wasn't very expensive to begin with, and I have all of my other bikes. I don't need it. You can have it.”

Levi looked at Erwin with confusion for a moment and then laughed wryly. “You're kidding right?”

“No.” Erwin shook his head. “I'm absolutely serious.”

This was unbelievable. Levi was not someone who grew up wealthy, quite the opposite in fact. People didn't just give away expensive things without expecting something. 

“What's the catch?” Levi narrowed his eyes in suspicion. 

Erwin laughed lightheartedly at Levi's response, genuinely amused. “Oh Levi, there's no catch. The catch is you come work at Sina for me, that's it. Well, of course you'll have to pay for your own insurance on the bike, but it won't be much, especially not after your pay increase.”

Levi still wasn't buying it. Who could just give away a motorcycle like it was no big deal?

“Honestly, Levi, I'm well off. The bike has no value to me at this point. I'll forget I even gave it to you after a couple months. I don't mean to sound like a rich prick,” Erwin chuckled. “I'm just telling you the truth.”

“You're serious.” It wasn't a question.

Erwin nodded. “Now say yes. I really need you at Sina. Come manage the bar for me. Please.”

What a strange turn of events. He had no excuse at this point. It would be stupid of him to turn down a promotion, a raise, and a free motorcycle for Christ's sake. What else could he do but accept?

“Okay.” Levi finally said. “I'll do it. I'll manage the bar at Sina for you. But only if I can keep my same schedule. Night shifts Monday through Friday. There are other things I do on the weekends.”

“Fantastic.” Erwin grinned. “Not a problem, you can keep your same schedule. I want you to finish out this week here at Cafe Rose, and then start getting comfortable at Sina next Monday. I'll text you the details later.”

Levi was a little surprised at how quickly this was going to happen.

“I'll bring the bike by tomorrow morning, park it out back and leave the keys with Hanji for you. You'll like it, like I said it's pretty, and black.” Erwin gave Levi a smirk. “Now I've got to get going.”

 

Eren was preparing a new batch of cold brew coffee when Levi and Erwin finally emerged from the office. Took them long enough.

Erwin stepped to Eren again, put a strong hand on his shoulder and said, “I'm counting on you to show the new guy the ropes Eren, whip him into shape for me okay?”

“Uh...okay.” Eren had no idea what Erwin was talking about but smiled back, albeit nervously, anyway. New guy? What new guy? Why would there be a new guy?

“Levi.” Erwin grabbed Levi's hand in a firm shake. “Thanks a million. You really have no idea how much this is going to help me out. Monday.” 

Levi gave him a nod. 

Erwin turned to leave, then stopped and looked back at Levi with a small smile. “Oh, by the way Levi, you look good with a little scruff.” And with that he disappeared out the back door, locking it behind him. 

Eren had to physically stop himself from glaring at Erwin's back after that comment, then turned to Levi with a worried look. “What's going on? What does he mean 'new guy'? And how are you helping him out?”

“Well...” Levi met Eren's eyes and took a deep breath. “I'm leaving Cafe Rose.”


	15. It's Not A Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, pretty sure this is the longest chapter yet. Probably could've split it into two smaller parts but, fuck it. Here it is.

“What?! Why?!” Eren didn't know what was going on yet but he already knew that he didn't like it.

“Because Erwin wants me to manage the bar at Sina for him.” 

“Sina? Can't he do that? Isn't that his thing, managing Sina?” 

“He said he's overwhelmed, needs the help.” Levi shrugged.

“Well just tell him no. He can find someone else.”

“Eren, I've been here for five fucking years, a change of pace sounds nice. Besides, he's throwing a lot of incentives at me, I'd be an idiot to turn him down.”

“Well then be an idiot! Stay here.” Eren was starting to get a little angry at the situation.

“It's not like I'm moving out of the country or something. We'll still get to hang out.”

“When?”

“We'll have the weekends. Let's do something this Saturday.” Levi was trying to remain reasonable in the face of Eren's discontent.

“I can't, it's Mikasa's birthday. We're having dinner at my dad's. We'll have to do something Sunday.” 

“I'm busy Sunday.”

“With what? Oh wait, no, let me guess, it's none of my business.” Eren knew he was being childish, but he was not happy with this turn of events at all. 

Levi was a little taken aback by the attitude that Eren was throwing at him. He probably would have told him what his plans were if he weren't being such a brat, but not now. “Congratulations. You guessed right, still none of your business.”

“See! This sucks already and you haven't even left yet!” Eren threw his hands up in frustration.

“Can't you just say 'good for you' or something? Why are you getting so upset?” Eren was really starting to test Levi's patience.

Why not just say it? Eren thought. “Because I don't like Erwin, and I don't like the idea of him working with you.” There.

“What? Why?” 

“Because...” Eren didn't really have any solid reasons. “Because he uses the word 'privately' and he said he likes your scruff.”

“Wow Eren, un-fucking-believable. Those are some really great reasons to dislike somebody that you don't even know.” Levi didn't particularly like Erwin himself, but Eren was just being irrational. He didn't know what had happened to the emotionally mature Eren he'd witnessed earlier in the day, but he sure as hell wasn't here now.

“And...” Eren added. “He's taking you away from...us.” 'Me' is what Eren really meant. 

“Are you seriously worried that something might happen between Erwin and me?” Levi was incredulous. “Have you seen the man's eyebrows? They need their own fucking zip code, not to mention his massive ego.”

At any other time Eren would have laughed at that, but not right now. “Well I think it's a valid concern, considering that I don't even know what the hell is going on between you and me. Are we dating? Are we together? Just screwing around? What!?”

“Fuck if I know!” His patience with Eren's outburst was all but gone at this point.

Eren looked a little hurt. “Well I know what I want, and I think it's pretty obvious that it's you.”

Immediately after Eren finished his sentence the front door chime went off. Out of habit they both turned to look, and through the small window in the swinging door they could see a lone customer making his way to the counter.

Levi tried to calm himself, keep his voice low. “Eren we can't talk about this right now.”

“Oh okay! Sure! Guess we'll talk about it never, since that's how often we're going to be able to see each other now!” Eren wasn't making an attempt to be quiet at all.

Levi glared at him. “If there was ever a time when you were actually being a brat, it's right now.”

“Yeah?” Eren raised his eyebrows. “Well if there was ever a time when you were actually being an asshole, it's right now.”

The words stung, for both of them. They just stood there glaring at each other until a small 'hello?' drifted back to them from the customer at the counter.

Levi turned, pushed his way through the swinging door a little too roughly and stalked to the counter.

“What do you want?” He snarled.

“Uh...” The man shrunk a little under Levi's glare. “Just a small coffee...to-go.”

 

The next two days were almost unbearable for the both of them. They moved around each other in silence, only speaking when it was necessary to get the job done. Eren now had a permanent scowl to match Levi's, and when he found out that Erwin was giving Levi a motorcycle he was so livid he almost threw a mug at the wall. Who the fuck did this prick think he was? Just giving out motorcycles? The fact that Levi looked so perfect on the motorcycle pissed him off even more, and he had to begrudgingly admit, to himself only, that is was a nice bike. 

The only good moments of those two days for Levi were when he was riding said motorcycle. As soon as he'd gotten on it, he'd fallen in love. The leather, the shining metal, the black paint… Levi had never considered himself one to be interested in cars and shit, but once he rode the bike for the first time he had to wonder how he had gone so long in life without having one. It was like the bike was made specifically for him. Of course he'd never actually planned on just taking it from Erwin. Levi could provide for himself, he didn't need any fucking handouts from anyone. He was going to save the extra money he'd be making now and officially purchase the bike from Erwin once he had enough. For now, he just considered it on loan.

About halfway through their shift on Friday, Levi's last night at Cafe Rose, he disappeared to the bathroom to take a piss and happened to leave his phone on the prep table in the kitchen. Eren didn't even notice until it vibrated and lit up with a new text. It's not like Eren was trying to look, he just heard the noise and glanced to it, and immediately wished he hadn't. He caught the text in his eye before the screen faded back to black:

“Hey pretty boy. Same time this Sunday?”

It was from someone named Donovan. Eren didn't know what to think, he just knew that after seeing it he felt ill. Wished he could just go home. Of course, Levi was gorgeous, he could have any guy he wanted. Could probably even have any straight guy he wanted. There were a lot of things Eren didn't know about Levi. It wasn't like they had agreed to be exclusive. In reality they had only actually been 'seeing' each other for a single week, yet it had felt like a beautiful eternity. Like him and Levi had been together forever, in another timeline maybe, and that somehow that timeline and this one collided and brought them together like they were supposed to be. Eren suddenly felt very young, and foolish for thinking there was ever a possibility that he could have Levi all to himself.

When Levi came back from the bathroom Eren watched him out of the corner of his eye, trying to see his reaction to the text, but he had none. Perfect poker face as always. The rest of that night Eren wasn't even angry anymore, just depressed. And when the shop was all locked up and they were standing on the sidewalk, Eren just quietly said, “See you whenever.” and walked away. He heard Levi say his name, knew he wanted him to come back and talk, but he couldn't, because as embarrassing as it was he thought he might start crying. So he just kept walking, went home, stripped all his clothes off, curled up in bed and stared blankly at the wall until he fell asleep. 

Saturday afternoon consisted of Eren moping around behind Armin as they tried to find Mikasa a gift. Eren wasn't being helpful at all, just kept saying 'Sure, whatever.' to everything Armin suggested. Armin finally ended up deciding on a really nice leather jacket that he thought would be perfect for Mikasa. They split the cost, because it was actually a pretty expensive jacket, had it gift wrapped, and then Armin drove them to the Jaeger residence.

Eren did his best to act normal. He didn't want to ruin Mikasa's birthday. She was, after-all, spending it in a cast from the accident. They ate dinner, then played Pictionary for a while, Eren and his dad against Armin and Mikasa. Eren had inherited his father's hopeless drawing skills, it really wasn't fair for them to be paired as a team, and they lost by a drastic amount. It was still fun though, and for a moment Eren forgot why his chest was hurting so much. 

With nothing to distract him on Sunday, however, Eren just spiraled into his own mind coming up with scenarios of Levi meeting with whoever Donovan was. Armin was well aware of the situation at this point, had been listening to Eren whine about it since Thursday, and he hated watching Eren mope around like that. It wasn't natural. So in an attempt to help his best friend out he suggested they get out of the house and hang out with some friends. 

“Is anyone even doing anything?” Eren shrugged.

“Yeah, I just got a text from Reiner inviting us to go to a bar with him. He wants us to meet him there.”

“Since when does Reiner go to bars?”

“Well, it's actually Christa that wants to go to the bar, so...”

“Hmm, guess that makes sense.” Reiner had been chasing after Christa since the dawn of time, but she didn't ever seem to give him a chance. Eren didn't really care either way.

“So? Do you want to go?”

“Not really.” Eren sighed.

“Come on Eren, it'll be fun. You could use a drink or two. Let's go.” Armin prodded.

“Ugh, fiiiine.” Eren groaned.

Armin couldn't help but laugh a little a how dramatic Eren was being. 

“What bar are we going to anyway?” 

“Wings.”

“Wings? Isn't that clear the hell across town?” Eren asked.

“Yeah.” Armin shrugged. “That's just where Christa wanted to go I guess.”

“Whatever, let's go.”

Eren tried to make himself presentable to the public, and so neither of them had to drive they took a Lyft to the bar.

 

When they arrived the place was packed. They waited in line to get in, showed the bouncer their IDs and then tried to sift their way through the crowd to find Reiner and Christa. After Armin sent Reiner a few texts, they located him sitting alone at a tall circular table near the wall. He'd saved them some chairs and they sat down. There were two drinks in front of Reiner. 

“Where's Christa?” Armin asked over the noise.

Reiner nodded off to the side. “She's watching the band.”

Eren hadn't even realized there was a band playing, he'd been zoning out lost in his own thoughts, just following Armin around. He looked to where Reiner had motioned and could barely see bits and pieces of a stage through the mass of people surrounding it. 

“Can't we go somewhere else?” Eren asked. “It's way too crowded in here.”

“Nah.” Reiner shook is head. “That's why we're here. Christa wanted to see this band play.”

“Fine.” Eren resigned to his fate.

“Well we're going to go grab a drink from the bar, we'll be right back.” Armin said to Reiner. “Come on Eren.”

Eren followed behind Armin as they pushed their way to the bar and got into a line that was far too long. After a minute or two a small girl in front of them, who was clearly already drunk, turned around and started flirting with Armin, telling him how cute she thought he was, touching his hair. If Eren hadn't been in such a bad mood it would've been hilarious watching Armin get all embarrassed, trying to flirt back. 

Eren got bored trying to hear what they were saying and just started zoning out again as they slowly shuffled closer to the bar. The song the band was playing started to fill his mind and soon he was staring at nothing just listening. There were the drums, the bass, some heavy distorted guitar, and then the singers voice, which drifted back and forth between soft melodic singing and harsh screams. Eren didn't typically like this kind of music, but as he stood there listening he felt himself getting caught up in it. It was like a whirlwind of beautiful sadness and rage swirling around him. The singer's voice was hypnotic; dark, seductive, pained, and then light and soft at moments, like a cool breeze. He couldn't quite make out the lyrics over the conversations surrounding him, but he found himself wanting to know what they were. Knew they had to be meaningful judging from the raw emotion that emanated from the stage. Then the song ended, the crowd cheered, and the singer said, “Thank you.”

Eren whipped around to face the stage. The bar area was slightly elevated from the stage, and from where Eren was standing in line he had a perfect view.

“Oh my god.” He whispered to himself as the band started in on another song.

He stood staring in disbelief for a minute, and then swung an arm behind him to smack Armin who was still talking to the small girl.

“Armin, Armin!” Eren kept smacking him without taking his eyes off the stage.

“Ow!” Armin whined. “What?” He finally turned and stepped up to Eren so they could hear each other. 

“The singer Armin, oh my god.”

Armin nodded. “Yeah, he's really good right?”

“No, like holy shit!” Eren was currently incapable of communicating like a normal human being, eyes glued to the man behind the microphone.

Armin looked at the way Eren was staring at the singer and elbowed him playfully, “I thought you only had eyes for Levi?”

“That's him.” Eren simply said.

“What?” Armin was confused.

“That's him!” Eren said louder, then finally turned to look at his friend. “That's Levi.”

Armin looked from Eren to the stage and then back again in disbelief. “Seriously?”

Eren nodded his head vigorously.

Armin looked back to the stage, then turned to Eren with a teasing smile and said, “Well, you should probably just hurry up and get over him, cuz he looks waaaay out of your league.”

“Shut up.” Eren glared at the blonde who was supposed to be his best friend. “Oh shit, what if he sees me?”

“Well then he sees you.” Armin shrugged.

“What if he thinks I'm like stalking him or something?” 

“I dunno, you'll just have to talk to him afterward.”

They were at the front of the line now, the bartender asking what they wanted. Armin placed his order then turned to Eren. 

“Eren what do you want?” 

“I don't care. Whatever. I'm kinda freaking out right now.” Eren couldn't take his eyes off of the stage, off of Levi singing.

Armin sighed and turned back to the bar to order something for Eren. In a moment he was putting a shot glass in Eren's hand.

“Here. Drink this.”

Eren did as he was told and then coughed in disgust. “Bleh, what hell was that!?” He asked as Armin took the shot glass from him and replaced it with a larger glass containing some sort of cocktail.

“Canadian Host.” Armin answered.

“But why?” Eren was making a face, still recovering from the shot.

“It's cheap.” 

“And gross.”

Armin sighed again. “Well order your own drink next time.” Eren could be insufferable sometimes. “Come on, let's get back to the table.”

“Uh...” Eren looked from Armin to the stage.

“Yeah yeah, I get it. Go ahead and watch. I'll be with Reiner.”

“Thanks.” Eren was pretty sure he had the best friend in the world. 

Armin disappeared into the crowd and Eren moved to find a better place to watch. He wanted to get closer, but he also didn't want Levi to notice him, so he kind of moved off to the left side of the stage, made sure to stay behind people but maintain his view. 

Eren was absolutely mesmerized. The song they were currently playing flowed back and forth between a dark melody and raw distorted guitar. Levi's voice was like pure sex to Eren's ears, changing from low seductive words, that were sung almost in a whisper, to heart-wrenching screams that sent chills down his spine. 

Two songs later Eren realized he was still holding a drink he hadn't touched. He took a sip of what tasted like a whiskey sour and continued watching. Every song carried so much emotion; sadness and rage, but also sometimes something softer…like a light caress. Eren had no idea that music could come together like this in so many ways. He'd always thought metal, was this metal?, was all hard and fast, no room for any other emotion but anger. But this, this was something entirely different, like a glimpse inside Levi's soul.

Eren finished his drink and set the empty glass on a table next to a bunch of others. His feet subconsciously carried him a few steps closer to the stage.

“This last song is new, so sorry if it's a little rough.” Levi took a drink from a water bottle, and then the song started.

Last song? Eren was disappointed it was almost over, he felt like he could watch Levi sing forever. The sound for this one started off light and ethereal, softer than the others, and as Eren listened the song became strangely familiar to him, as if he knew it already even though that was impossible. He heard the lyrics, “Won't let these waves steal you away. I'll breath for you as long as it takes.” Then the song suddenly changed moods to raw, almost sexual with the deep vibrating rhythm of the guitar and Levi's voice, silky and low, singing the words, “That light in your eyes makes me feel like I'm high, could wash the filth from you a thousand times.”

Eren felt his heart beating fast, felt thirsty, like he needed another drink. A wave of heat washed over his body and his breath quickened. He was glued to that spot, stuck there under the spell that Levi had cast over the entire audience, the lights on stage were a deep crimson silhouetting the band members, pulsing to the beat. Then the song was over, leaving everyone wanting more, and the house lights came up slightly.

“We are Humanity's Strongest.” Levi was a little out of breath, looking out across the audience and then his eyes caught Eren's and he paused for a moment, just the faintest change of expression, then he looked away. “Thank you.” he said and walked away from the mic. As the cheering died down a playlist piped in on the bar speakers and soon the crowd was talking loud and spreading throughout the rest of the bar. 

Well, Levi had seen him, but at this point Eren didn't care, if anything was glad. He was feeling pretty good from the drinks Armin had gotten for him, and he was just happy to have a chance to talk to Levi, who was currently making his way through the crowd toward Eren.

Eren met him halfway and soon they were standing a few feet apart, a little off to the side, away from the denser part of the crowd. 

“You lied.” Eren said.

Levi looked a little confused. “I didn't lie, I just didn't tell you what I was doing.” His voice was a little hoarse.

“No, not about that.” A smirk was starting to play on Eren's lips. “About being a metalhead, you totally are one.” He wore a cheeky grin now.

“Tch.” Levi rolled his eyes, his lips curved slightly. “What are you doing here?”

“I guess my friend Christa likes your band, invited us to meet up here.”

Eren could now see his friends at their table through the thinning crowd and pointed them out. 

“I see.”

“So, why keep this a secret?” Eren asked looking to the stage and then back to Levi.

Levi thought for a moment. “It's not a secret. I just… don't do it for the attention. It's more of a...personal thing for me.” He looked a little uncomfortable. “Besides, it's kind of embarrassing performing in front of people you know.”

“Embarrassing?!” Eren couldn't believe it. “How could you possibly be embarrassed? That was amazing! Like, excuse me if I have a boner right now, cuz that was fucking hot.”

Levi chuckled a little at that.

“No seriously, you're incredible.” 

Levi blushed and looked away. “Thanks.”

“Hey, um...” Eren's voice took on a serious tone. “I'm sorry about the other day. You were right, I was totally being a brat.”

Levi shrugged. “Well, you were right too. I was being an asshole. Sorry.”

“It's okay.” Eren smiled, then added, “I'm happy for you. Really. I'm just going to miss working with you.”

“Me too.” Levi took a deep breath. “I wanted to talk to you after our shift on Friday, but you just left.”

“Yeah, I know, sorry.” Eren sighed. “I just...realized that you might have other people you're interested in so...” Eren trailed off, it hurt to say those words.

“What?” Levi was surprised, shook his head. “No, no I don't. I wanted to tell you that...” He took a second, looked around awkwardly biting at his lip ring, he wasn't any good at talking about sappy bullshit. What the hell, fuck it. “I want you too Eren, just you.”

“Wait what? Hold on, how drunk am I?” Eren was smiling crookedly. “For real?”

Levi looked away, clearly uncomfortable. “Fuck, don't make me say it again brat.”

Eren was grinning like an idiot now. He wanted to kiss Levi, right then, was going to do it, didn't care how many people were around them. But a nearby voice called out to Levi, ruining his plan.

“Yo! Levi!” 

A skinny guy with stringy brown hair to his shoulders jogged up to them. 

“Dude, you fuckin' killed it, as usual. Especially the new song, glad we ended on that one.” The man finally noticed Eren, realized he might have interrupted something. “Oh shit, sorry, who's you're friend?”

“Eren this is Donovan. He's the lead guitarist of the band.”

Donovan. Right, Eren had seen him up there on stage.

“Donovan this is Eren, my...” Levi glanced to Eren and then back to Donovan. “boyfriend.”

“Whaaaaaat?” Donovan was looking between the two of them. “I didn't know you had a boyfriend. Hell, I didn't even know you were gay. Damn Levi, you sly fuckin' devil. Nice to meet you Eren.” He wiped his hand on his pants and held it out to Eren.

Eren shook his hand. “Yeah, you too.”

Donovan turned back to Levi. “So pretty boy, you coming to the after-party tonight?”

Levi glared back at him. “Stop fucking calling me that.”

“Ha ha!” Donovan nudged Eren. “God, I love pissing Levi off, it's so easy. You gotta be careful though, cuz he will kick your ass. But I guess you know all that huh?”

Eren laughed a little, maybe this Donovan guy wasn't so bad. 

Levi sighed and rolled his eyes. “No, asshat, I'm not coming tonight.”

“Aw come on! There are going to be a lot of ladies missin' that pretty face of yours. Though...” Donovan looked at Eren. “knowing what I know now...things are starting to make a lot more sense. Eh, whatever,” He shrugged. “more for me. Later.”

Donovan jogged away leaving the two of them alone again.

“So, I'm your boyfriend huh?” Eren looked to Levi.

“Only if you want to be.” There was the slightest glint of apprehension in Levi's eyes as he waited for Eren's response. 

“Are you kidding? Of course that's what I want.” Then Eren let out a little gasp, a thought had suddenly occurred to him. 

“What?” Levi's brows furrowed with concern.

“That old Asian lady's going to be so happy.”

Levi blinked at Eren in disbelief. “You're a fuckin' weirdo, you know that?”

“Yeah, well, you're the one dating a weirdo, so what does that say about you?”

“Oh my god,” Levi muttered to himself, pinching his brow. “what have I gotten myself into.”

“Oh! You should come meet my friends.” Eren looked over at them. “I kind of abandoned them since I got here so I could watch you. Sort of feel like a dick now.”

“Sure.”

They made their way over to the table where Armin, Reiner, and now Christa were all sitting and talking over drinks. 

“Hey guys.” Eren said as they approached the table. “Sorry I disappeared for a while.”

“It's alright.” Reiner responded. “You look like you're in a better mood at least.”

“Ha, yeah.” Better mood? More like absolutely elated and still wondering if maybe this was all a drunken dream. “Uh Levi this is Armin, Reiner, and Christa.” He motioned to them in order.

“Guys, this is my boyfriend Levi.” He tried to say it casually, you know, whatever, just my boyfriend. Tried to keep his smile under control. 

“Nice to meet you.” Levi said.

Armin was grinning between Eren and Levi like a total dork, Reiner looked thoroughly confused, and Christa immediately started talking.

“What?! You're dating the singer Eren?! How did I not know this?!”She was looking accusingly at Eren.

Eren just smiled sheepishly and shrugged. 

Then Christa turned to Levi and in a much quieter and somewhat timid voice said, “Um, you guys are really good. Do you think...maybe you could introduce me to your drummer?”

“Ymir?” Levi quirked an eyebrow.

“Yeah.” Christa nodded shyly. 

“Well, she's right over there.” Levi motioned to a tall slender girl with disheveled brown hair who was currently packing up the drum kit on stage. “Just go talk to her. She has a lot of shit to pack up, would probably appreciate a hand.”

“Really?” Christa was a little hesitant. “You don't think it'd be weird?”

“Not unless you make it weird.”

“Uh...” Christa took a nervous breath. “Okay, I'm gonna go talk to her. See you guys in a bit.” She downed the rest of her drink in one go, then hopped off her chair and headed to the stage. 

Eren, Reiner, and Armin all exchanged a silent look. 

“Actually, I should probably go help Donovan and Berthold with their shit.” Levi sighed. “It was nice to meet you guys.” he said to Armin and Reiner, then turned to Eren. “I'll come find you when I'm done.”

“Okay.” Eren smiled. 

Levi walked away and disappeared down the side of the stage into a hallway. 

“I don't even know what's going on anymore,” Reiner sighed. “but I could use another drink.”

The three of them agreed that they could go for another round and ordered at the bar. Eren ordered for himself this time, and he did not get Canadian Host, he got a mojito, because mojitos are minty and delicous. Then they found another table, their original one got stolen, and spent the next half hour chatting and laughing as they watched tiny blonde Christa try to help Ymir with her massive drum kit. Reiner seemed to finally accept the fact that Christa was never going to give him a chance, and after that he was in a much better mood. They saw Ymir and Christa talking for a minute after they were finished carrying things out the back of the bar, and then Christa came running up to them with a huge smile.

“Hey guys.” She was a little out breath. “Ymir is super cool, and the bassist, Berthold, is having an after-party at his house, and she invited us to come. Do you wanna go?”

“Uh...I'm going to wait for Levi, and I don't think he wants to go. So, I guess I'm out.” Eren looked to the other two.

“Well, I don't have work or class tomorrow, so sure I guess.” Armin shrugged.

“What the hell, why not.” Reiner agreed. 

“Awesome! I'm going to go get the address from her.” Christa turned and jogged away.

Levi reappeared out of the hallway a moment later and Eren walked over to meet him. 

“Hey, so your drummer invited my friends to the after-party, and they're all going to go. I know you said you aren't going...is there something else you're planning on doing?” Eren asked innocently, didn't want to invade on Levi's personal space even though they were now technically a couple. 

“Actually there is.” Levi said plainly, didn't elaborate.

“Oh, ok...” Eren was going to say that he'd just take a Lyft back home or something, but then Levi continued.

“I was talking to this brat earlier, said the show gave him a boner. Thought maybe I'd take him back to my place, have my way with him.” Levi shrugged nonchalantly, a bored expression on his face.

“Oh really?” Eren smiled crookedly. “What did he look like?”

“Hmm...” Levi's eyes drifted over Eren. “kind of tall, skinny but toned, messy brown hair...great smile, and very nice eyes.” 

“Eh.” Eren said dismissively. “Sounds like kind of a douche to me. Have fun with that.” He turned and started to walk away.

“Get the fuck back here.” Levi snatched Eren by the arm and turned him back around, glaring at him dangerously.

Eren laughed. “Well I gotta go say 'bye' to my friends.”

“Fine.” Levi suddenly pulled Eren in very close, his lips next to Eren's ear, and whispered, “Don't take too long.”, gave his earlobe a small bite, then turned and sauntered away. “I'll be out back.” He called over his shoulder. 

A shiver ran the length of Eren's spine, he gulped and stammered, “I won't.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone cares, I imagine Levi's band and his vocals sounding a lot like the following Deftones songs:  
> My Own Summer  
> Xerces  
> Bored  
> Rosemary  
> Beware The Water  
> Change
> 
> Just close your eyes and imagine Levi singing, kills me.
> 
> Or if you already have a good picture in your mind you can just leave it at that.


	16. Blow Me

Levi was out back, he'd ridden the bike to the show and that's where he'd parked. The night was comfortable, warm with a slight breeze. It felt nice being outside, out of the heat and noise of the bar. He was just standing there looking up at the few stars that could be seen through the light pollution when Eren came around the side of the building. 

“Hey, oh you drove the bike here.”

“Yeah, I know you hate it.”

“Nah, I don't hate it.” Eren admitted. “It's actually really nice, suits you perfectly. I just think Erwin is insane for handing out a motorcycle.”

“Well, I think he's insane too. Which is why I'm going to buy it from him eventually.” 

“That doesn't surprise me.” Eren smiled. “Ready to go?”

“Do you want to see something cool before we head to my place? It's a bit of a drive, but I think you'll like it.”

“Yeah sure.” It was so nice out, and as much as he wanted to get into Levi's pants, going on a drive with him sounded nice. 

“Okay, here put this on.” Levi took a helmet from a compartment under the seat and handed it to Eren, then started putting his own on.

“Aw, I don't want to wear a helmet.” Eren whined. “It's so nice, I wanna feel the wind in my hair!” Eren was drunk, not wasted, just pleasantly buzzed. 

“Well I'm not a necrophiliac, so you're wearing it.”

“A what?”

“A corpse fucker.”

“Ew, gross!”

“Just put the god damn helmet on.” Levi sighed.

“Fine.” 

Eren adjusted the helmet on his head, then climbed onto the bike behind Levi, who showed him where to put his feet. Eren slid up closer to Levi than necessary and wrapped his arms around Levi's waist, his massive smile hidden by the helmet. 

“Hang on.” Levi said over his shoulder.

They drove through the city for a while, streetlights flashing by, wind flowing over them, and then Levi turned off onto a highway that led out of the city and toward some hills in the distance. Soon they were winding up the side of one of those hills, trees lining the road, no one else around. The air was fresher here, a little bit cooler, smelled like dirt and leaves, and a hint of ocean salt. Levi drove all the way to the top until the road ended at a small parking area. He pulled into a spot and turned the bike off.

They took their helmets off and breathed in the silence, nothing but the sound of the leaves moving in the breeze and a few crickets. They got off the bike, set the helmets on it, and Levi motioned to Eren to follow him. They walked to the edge of the parking lot where the asphalt met with wild grass and descended downward in a steep slope. The whole city was spread out before them, lights twinkling, absolutely silent from such a distance. 

“Whoa.” Eren breathed and looked to Levi who just gave him a small smile. 

A gust of wind picked up, blowing through their hair, rustling the foliage. Levi let Eren take it in for a few minutes then slid his hand into the brunette's and started leading him away.

“Come here. I think the other side is better.”

They walked back past the bike and continued to the opposite edge of the parking lot where they met a flat expanse of wild grass that extended about fifteen feet out before dropping drastically into rocky terrain. Beyond that was the ocean, extending for eternity, the moon glittering across it's surface.

Eren's eyes widened. “Oh my god.” he whispered. “This is so cool.”'

“I thought you'd like it.”

Moonlight reflected in Eren's eyes as he gazed out at the ocean for a minute. Then he turned to Levi. “How did you find this place?”

“Felt like going for a drive Friday after you left, so I just kind of drove wherever, ended up here.” Levi shrugged looking around. 

“I love it. I just want to live up here.” Eren sat down on the grass and then lay flat on his back. “Come on.” He tugged at Levi's leg.

Levi lay next to him and they stared up at the sky. The stars were numerous and vibrant away from the lights of the city.

“Hey look.” Eren lifted an arm and pointed. “There's Orion.”

Levi saw the stars he was pointing at and hummed in response.

“That's the only constellation I know.” Eren admitted with a smile, turning his head to look at Levi.

Levi chuckled a little looking back at Eren. They stared at each other in the silence, just breathing, then Eren glanced at Levi's lips and licked his own.

“I'm glad Armin made me go out to the bar tonight.” He whispered.

“Me too.” Levi's eyes were on Eren's lips now. 

Then Eren slid over and pressed his mouth to Levi's. Levi let out a small moan, opened his mouth slightly, tongue flicking over Eren's top lip. Eren opened his mouth back in invitation and they were gently licking at each other, hearts beating faster, breaths uneven through their kisses. Levi could taste the mint and alcohol on Eren's breath and found that he liked it. They were kissing harder now, hands sliding over each other, and then Levi was rolling on top of Eren to get a better angle, pressing his hips into Eren's. 

With their eyes closed and mouths locked in fluid movements they got lost in the taste of each other, couldn't get enough. The soft breeze played over them intermittently, rattling the tall grass around them and bringing up the scent of the ocean. Levi's hand was sliding under Eren's shirt, trailing over his warm skin and he was aggressively sucking on Eren's bottom lip, causing him to moan, when a bright light shined directly on them. They opened their eyes and pulled apart to find the beam of a flashlight blinding them.

“Shit.” Levi muttered. Getting caught by a cop like they were a couple of fucking teenagers, great.

“I'm gonna need both of you to come stand over here.”

A pudgy man in a police uniform motioned them to the asphalt with his flashlight. They stood from the grass and saw that a single police car was parked blocking the one roadway up to the parking lot. The cop must have sneaked in with his lights off for them not to have noticed. Once they were both standing in the parking lot the man looked them over individually with his light. 

“The two of you been drinking?” He asked with a questioning eyebrow.

“No.” Levi said plainly. 

“Yes.” Eren said at the same time, nodding.

Levi shot Eren a look that he missed. 

“Well I've been drinking, he hasn't.” Eren motioned to Levi. When it came to encounters with law enforcement, Eren didn't have much experience, but he'd always been told it was best to be honest and respectful, because if the cop found out you were lying you'd just be in more trouble later. 

The cop gave Levi a long suspicious look, eyes lingering on his lip ring, his combat boots. Then he turned back to Eren and asked, “He lookin' to have his way with you?”

“Uh, yeah?” Eren was a little confused, it was only too late that he realized the cop was talking about something non-consensual, and then Eren just felt stupid.

“Eren what the fuck?!” Levi whispered lowly, shooting him another look. 

“Whoa now, that sounds like verbal abuse to me. Step over here son, I'm going to need to see some identification.” The pudgy man motioned Levi closer to the police car.

Eren made a move, opened his mouth to speak, but the cop held his hand up. “Ah ah, you stay over there, keep quiet.”

Levi sighed, walked over to where the man had motioned and handed the cop his driver's license. The man looked over it for a second then looked back up at Levi.

“Did you get this boy liquored up and bring him up here so you could take advantage of him?”

Eren took a step forward, was about to explain, but the cop shushed him and said, “I'm not askin' you boy, I'm askin' him.” He turned back to Levi.

Levi rolled his eyes. “Of course not.”

“You givin' me attitude now son?”

“No. I am not.” Levi's voice was low and level, maintaining his patience, but his eyes betrayed how much he hated being called 'son'.

“You sure about that? Cuz I'm sensing a lot of hostility coming from you.” The man had moved a little closer to Levi's face, close enough that Levi could smell the Cheetos on his breath, see the sweat on his red skin.

“Then you obviously don't know what hostility looks like.” Levi couldn't help it. He knew all the power games cops liked to play, knew they wanted you to address them as 'Sir' or 'Officer', but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

“That's it! I'm gonna need you to step against the vehicle and put your hands behind your back.” The man motioned to the police car. 

“Are you fucking serious?” Levi couldn't believe the cop was going to cuff him, and for what?!

The man gave Levi a rough shove against the car and pulled his arms behind his back, snapping the metal cuffs around Levi's wrists. “And I'm gonna need you to cool it with the foul language.” He hissed in Levi's ear. Levi wanted to say, “Blow me.”, but just glared at the man instead. The cop slammed Levi into the car again, harder this time, and growled, “Watch your attitude son!”

“Hey!” Eren took a couple steps forward, was not okay with the cop treating Levi like this.

“Don't you start with me boy, unless you want your own pair of bracelets.” The cop gave Eren a warning look. Eren stopped and scowled at the ground.

“Now you two stay put.” The cop looked between the both of them and moved to get into his car, Levi's ID still in his hands. “And I don't want to hear any chit chat either.”

The man was in the police car for quite a while, looking at a small monitor mounted to the dash. Eren and Levi kept quiet, just waited, didn't want to make things worse. Finally, the man got out of the car and walked back around towards Levi, tapping the ID on his sweaty palm.

“You've got quite a long list son, and I don't like it one bit. Were you lookin' to add sexual assault with a minor to that list? That your plan?”

Levi glared at the cop, was about to say something, but Eren quickly stepped up and started talking.

“Officer please, I'm not a minor, see?” Eren pulled out his ID and offered it to the man. “And he's my boyfriend, he wasn't taking advantage of me I swear, I just misunderstood you earlier. Look, please.” Eren motioned again for the cop to take his ID.

The man gave Levi a glare, then took the card from Eren's hand and examined it for a moment. “Well, I'll be...” He looked back up at Eren. “You're actually a lot older than you look. Thought for sure you was still in high school.”

“No, sir.” Eren shook his head.

The man looked at the card some more, was quiet for a minute, then said, “Jaeger huh? You wouldn't happen to be related to a Dr. Grisha Jaeger would you?” 

“Yes sir,” Eren nodded. “He's my dad.”

“No kiddin?” The cop didn't seem as riled up anymore, seemed like he was mellowing out. “I've been going to him for years now, good man.” He handed the ID back to Eren, looking him over. “You know public intoxication is illegal now don't you?”

“Sorry sir, it won't happen again.” Eren looked at his feet.

“Well I guess I could let you off with a warning, this one time, for your old man's sake. You sure this one here isn't giving you any trouble?” He gave Levi a hard look.

“Yeah, I'm sure. In fact it's probably the opposite.”

“What?” The cop didn't understand. 

“Nothing.” Eren shook his head. “He's not giving me any trouble, promise. Now, could you please un-cuff him sir?”

The officer looked between the two of them, let out a huff through his nose, and said, “Well, alright, but let me give you a word of advice...” He was speaking to Eren as he removed the cuffs from Levi. “maybe try datin' somebody who isn't a criminal. Just my two cents.” Then he turned to Levi, handed him his ID back, and said with narrow eyes, “And you, you're not going to be so lucky next time, so I suggest you get that mouth of yours under control.”

Levi remained silent so Eren chimed in “He will!” with a smile.

The cop's eyes remained on Levi's. “You going to get this boy home safe?”

“Yes.” It took all of Levi's will-power not to throw in a sarcastic 'sir' at the end.

“Now I want you to just head on home, stay out of anymore trouble.” The cop said to both of them.

“We will Officer.” Eren said.

Then the cop got in his car, started it up, and headed back down the windy road on the hillside, disappearing behind the trees. 

Eren sighed in relief once the car was out of sight. “Uh, sorry.” He looked to Levi. “I didn't mean to get you in trouble.”

Levi let out a long breath and rubbed at the red lines on his wrists that the cuffs had left behind. “It's alright. That asshole was looking for a fight from the start anyway.” He glared in the direction the car had disappeared. “The only reason he backed down is because he knows your dad.”

“Yeah, guess that was lucky.”

They were quiet for a minute, just trying to shake the remaining tension, the breeze and the crickets taking up the space around them again. Then Eren looked to Levi and said, “I can't believe you told him to blow you.”

“Oh shit, I said that out loud?”

“Yeah.” Eren started laughing.

Levi started laughing with him, a laugh that was close to the one Eren had heard that day on the beach, with a real smile, and when they stopped, Levi didn't seem so angry anymore.

“So what now?” Eren asked.

“Oh, my plans for you haven't changed.” Levi gave Eren a lascivious smirk. “In fact, and I hate to admit it, but that asshole gave me an idea.”

“What is it?” Eren gulped.

“Oh you'll find out soon enough, that is if you're into it.” 

Eren closed the space between them, he just wanted to be close to Levi, wanted to touch him again, and whispered, “Like I said before, you can handle me anyway you want.” Then he pressed his mouth to Levi's in a kiss that was anything but innocent, mouth open, tongue teasing. Eren was pressing in deep and rough, wanted Levi in that moment more than anything, and Levi let out a low moan before gently pushing Eren away. He was breathing hard, eyes filled with lust and said, “Let's get the fuck out of here while I can still drive.”

“K.” Eren nodded. 

In no time they were situated back on the bike, heading down the winding road through the trees. When they got to the bottom Levi noticed the cop car parked off in the shadows, lights off. Bastard had probably been there when they'd headed up, just waiting for someone to come along. Luckily he remained there, and they headed back into the city alone on the highway.

Levi tried to ignore how close Eren was to him, pressing into his back, tried to ignore his wandering hands, and focus on driving. But when they were back in the city, Eren's hands dipped a little low, sending a wave of heat over Levi's body, and when they were stopped at the next red light he turned to Eren and growled, “Cut it out brat, you're going to make me crash.”

“Sorry.” Eren smiled, and kept his hands still on Levi's sides for the rest of the ride. 

Levi parked in the lot behind his building and they entered through a backdoor. There was a lady with a raggedy white dog who rode the elevator to the top with them, so they kept their distance. Inside Levi's apartment, they removed their shoes, drank some water, and washed their hands. As soon as those necessities were out of the way, Levi grabbed Eren by the arm, led him into the bedroom, and sat him on the edge of the bed where he brought their lips together. 

“Mmm.” Eren moaned into their kiss. “That was like the longest drive of my life.”

“Tell me about it, you fuckin' tease.” Levi moaned back, biting at Eren's bottom lip.

“I couldn't help it.” Eren breathed out in a chuckle. 

They pressed back together, kissing hungrily, Levi standing between Eren's legs, his fingers weaving through the brunette's hair. After a moment they separated for some air and Eren asked, “Uh, so, what is your idea?” He was dying to know what Levi had planned. 

Levi smirked, leaned in, kissed along Eren's jaw back to his ear and whispered, “Well first, I want to blindfold you.” He kissed down Eren's neck a little. “Then, I want to undress you.” His lips slid over Eren's tender skin, sucking lightly, then he switched to Eren's other ear. “And after that, I want to tie your hands behind your back.” He gave Eren's neck another kiss, and then a small bite. “If I say anything else, it might ruin the fun.”

Eren's heart was pounding hard, his breaths shaky, shivers running down his back with all the sensual movements of Levi's mouth, the low whispers. He swallowed hard. “Oh.” was all he could manage to say at this point. 

Levi slid his lips over Eren's in one lingering kiss, then pulled back, looked into Eren's green eyes and said, “Any of that you're opposed to?”

“N-no.” Eren shook his head. 

“Good.” He smiled. “Before I tie you up though, I need to know that you'll tell me if you're not okay with anything. You can even come up with a safeword if you want. You know what that is?”

“Yeah.” Eren nodded and thought about it. Safeword...hmmm… “What about...Frappuccino?”

Levi chuckled. “Well that will certainly kill the mood. Frappuccino it is.”

With that settled, Levi leaned back in and captured Eren's mouth in a heated kiss before whispering the words, 'Stay here.' against his lips. Levi moved to a drawer, withdrew a black strip of cloth, and came back to stand in front Eren.

The last thing Eren saw before his world went black was Levi's piercing gray eyes and his playful smirk. Suddenly all his other senses were heightened and he felt his heartbeat pick up with the anticipation of what Levi would do next. Nothing happened for a moment, and then Eren felt soft lips on the right side of neck, kissing and gently sucking, and a hand sliding around the other side of his neck, fingers spreading through the hair behind his ear. Eren moaned softly, vaguely wondering how in the world he got so lucky. He felt Levi's mouth moving lower on his neck until the kisses reached the collar of his shirt, and then the sensation stopped.

Eren sat there breathing hard, listening, trying to gauge where Levi would move next. But it was so quiet, all he could hear was his own breathing, so when he felt Levi's lips touch his own a few seconds later he actually flinched. He heard Levi chuckle a little and smiled into the kiss. Then Levi's hands were on his chest, sliding downward, over his sides, until Eren felt fingertips slide underneath the hem of his shirt and slowly start pulling it upward. He lifted his arms with the motions and felt the coolness of the air on his skin as his shirt was entirely removed. Levi's hands adjusted the blindfold so that it was still snug. 

Eren was left untouched again for just a moment, and then Levi's mouth closed around one of his nipples, licking and teasing. 

“Shit.” Eren breathed out. “God, I'm so hard already.” he moaned.

“I can see that.” 

Eren could tell by the tone of Levi's voice that he was probably smiling devilishly. 

“Don't get too ahead of yourself, I'm just getting started.” 

Eren's other nipple received a soft bite. 

“Fuck.” he gasped.

“And I'm the one who's supposed to watch their language?” Levi teased.

Eren laughed, arms reaching out, touching Levi's shoulders and his chest, feeling down his stomach to the bottom of his shirt, fingers curling underneath. “Can I?”

“Well you're not going to be able to later...”

Eren did his best to strip Levi's shirt off without being able to see, then ran his hands over Levi's skin, touching the curves of his muscles, could feel the movement of his chest as he breathed in and out. Their mouths were together again, and Eren was getting aggressive, taking Levi's lip ring in his mouth, sucking while his tongue gently flicked over it. After a minute Levi pulled away and Eren could hear that he was breathing hard now.

“Stand up.” 

Eren stood, Levi steadying him, and then Eren felt Levi's hands working to undo his pants, sliding them to floor, his boxer next, freeing his erection.

“Mmmm.” Levi hummed with admiration. “Turn around.”

Eren did as he was told, using the edge of the bed as a guide, then felt a soft kiss on the nape of his neck followed by a small bite and light slap to his ass. He gasped, could tell that Levi had moved away somewhere, heard him open something, a closet door maybe? He waited, it couldn't have been longer than a minute before he felt the warmth of Levi's presence again and heard his voice, low and husky behind him.

“Get on the bed.”

Eren did his best to climb onto the bed, hands feeling out over the sheets, moving forward on his knees. The bed shifted with the weight of Levi climbing on behind him and then Levi's rough hands were on Eren's shoulders, sliding down and bringing his arms behind him. The brunette felt a soft cloth wrap around his wrists, held his arms still so Levi could work the cloth over and around them until they were tied snugly together.

“Comfortable?” Levi asked.

“Yeah.” Eren breathed.

“Good.” Levi gave Eren's ass another light slap. “Now bend over.”

He was hard as a rock, heart pounding in his chest as he bent forward until his face touched the soft satin of the sheets. Eren had never felt so vulnerable in his life, but found that he liked feeling this way with Levi, trusted him completely. A small 'snap' bounced off the walls and Eren could only imagine that the sound came from Levi opening a bottle of lube. He heard it snap closed and braced himself for the contact. 

“Ready?”

“Mmhmm.” Eren responded.

A single finger brushed against Eren's entrance, spreading lube over him, then slowly pushed in. Eren gasped, tried to steady his breathing, relax his muscles. Levi felt him adjust and pushed in further, letting Eren get used to the pressure, then he carefully slid a second finger inside, brushing that sweet spot. Eren let out a long moan, writhing slightly against his restraints. Then Levi slid both fingers out and asked, “Ready for more?”

“Yes.” Eren breathed against the sheets.

He heard the sound of the lube bottle once again, and then felt something larger press against him and gently push inside. He groaned at the intrusion, relaxing as much as he could, and soon realized from the shape and texture that it was not Levi's length, but some sort of toy.

“Aww...”He whined with a smile, panting. “I thought it was going to be you.”

“Too bad.” Levi smirked. What Eren didn't know was that the toy currently inside of him was actually a remote control vibrator, the controls to which were in Levi's hand.

“Can I at least have you in my mouth?” Eren asked, licking his lips. “Please?”

Levi smiled, that had actually been his next move, the brat was just too perfect for him. He hummed a little, as if considering it, “I guess so...since you asked so nicely.”

Eren's smile widened. He'd been dying to suck Levi off again, ever since that first night he'd come over. The way Levi felt and tasted, how he tugged lightly at Eren's hair, the noises he made, Eren loved everything about it. He felt the bed shift as Levi moved around in front of him and then Levi's hand was guiding his head upwards. Naturally Eren tried to reach out in search of what he wanted so badly and of course instantly realized he couldn't when he felt the cloth tighten around his wrists. So he moved his mouth forward, lips slightly parted, waiting to feel the touch of warm skin.

Levi teased Eren by gently brushing his tip over Eren's lips. Eren licked at him, tried to slide his mouth over Levi's length, but Levi moved just out of reach and Eren couldn't feel him anymore, mouth left wanting.

“Aww mean.” He pouted. 

Levi chuckled darkly. “Sorry, I'll stop teasing you.”

Then slender fingers were in Eren's hair guiding him to the right spot, and Eren felt Levi's cock against his lips again, opened his mouth and slid his lips over him as far as he could go, tongue licking around him. 

“Fuck.” Levi moaned, and felt Eren's own moan travel across his length.

Eren got into a rhythm, long fluid licks and sucks over Levi's erection, moaning in satisfaction. Levi's hand remained threaded through his hair, but there was no force behind his touch, it was just there to steady him.

Levi leaned back a little on his knees, looking down, eyes heavy with lust, just watching Eren's mouth move perfectly over his cock. He waited a minute, enjoying the sensation and the view, and then with a devious smile flipped the switch on the remote to the lowest setting and waited to see what Eren would do. Eren's whole body quivered and he gasped around Levi's length, then slid off for a second to catch his breath.

“O-oh..my.. g-god.” Eren panted, could hardly speak.

“You okay?”

“Y-yeah...I...I'm...good. Shit...you...sneaky...b-bastard.” Eren was smiling.

Levi laughed a little. “Tell me if it's too much okay?”

“I...I will.” Eren took a deep breath, found Levi's length again, and slid his mouth back over him.

He tried to resume the fluid motions over Levi, but it was so hard to concentrate with all that sensation vibrating through him, and he kept having to stop to catch his breath. His mind was a haze of bliss, but he wanted to pleasure Levi so badly, so he struggled to focus and eventually managed to regain his rhythm, licking and sucking more aggressively. 

“Mmmm.” Levi moaned. “Your mouth is perfect.”

Levi loved watching Eren struggle to maintain his senses, loved watching his beautiful lips slide up and down his hard-on. He was breathing hard, hand clutching Eren's hair, biting at his lip ring, eyes fluttering closed. He was close, but forced himself to hold out a little longer, and flipped the dial on the vibrator up one more notch. 

Eren's whole body shuddered again, and he let out a low moan, his motions catching slightly. But he kept going, licking and sucking a little harder, a little faster, determined to satisfy Levi. Then Levi's hand clutched at his hair a little rougher, tugging slightly. Eren loved the feeling and moaned again through his movements. 

“Eren.” Levi choked out. “I'm...” He couldn't finish the sentence. 

Eren felt Levi's grasp on him tighten, and then Levi's cock twitched in release, warm liquid spilling into his mouth. He heard a choked cry between Levi's struggles for breath, and that beautiful sound was more than Eren could handle. He came hard himself, spilling between his thighs onto the sheets, moaning with Levi's length still in his mouth, muscles shuddering. And when the sensations rippling through him finally stopped, he slid his lips off Levi and swallowed. Levi's hand released him, the vibrator clicked off, and he leaned back a little trying to catch his breath.

“Fuck.” Eren breathed out in euphoria.

Levi chuckled, also still trying to catch his breath. Then Levi's hands reached behind Eren and untied his restraints, slid the cloth from his wrists and tossed it to the side. Eren brought his arms around and slid the blindfold up and off his head. He blinked his eyes open to see Levi smiling at him lazily, looking disheveled and completely satiated. They just looked at each other for a moment, smiling, then Levi leaned forward and brought his lips to Eren's for a languid kiss. 

After they had gathered their senses enough to move, they climbed off the bed. Levi got the shower started, told Eren to go ahead, and then joined him a few minutes later after he'd put the bedsheets in the washer. Levi was unusually affectionate in the shower, looking over Eren's wrists to make sure they were okay, and giving him innocent kisses in various places. It made Eren blush. When they were all cleaned up, they got out and dried off. 

“You hungry?” Levi asked.

“Yeah.” Eren nodded, realizing that he hadn't really eaten much earlier in the day.

“Okay.” Levi looked to the clock, it was half past midnight, far too late to get food anywhere. “Well, I've got a frozen pizza we can share, maybe watch some more Rick & Morty if you want?”

“What?! There's more?”

“Yeah. At least one more season I think, maybe two.”

“I can't believe you were holding out on me!” Eren said accusingly.

“Tch. I wasn't holding out on you. I haven't seen any of it myself.” Levi gave Eren a small flick with his towel. 

“Ow!”

“Oh whatever, I barely touched you brat.” Levi narrowed his eyes, and Eren just smirked back at him. “Put some clothes on before I get anymore ideas.”

They spent the rest of the night eating pizza and watching the second season on the couch. When there was one slice left Eren turned to Levi and said, “I'll fight you for it.” 

“You sure about that?” Levi raised an eyebrow.

Eren suddenly remembered being knocked flat on his back behind Rose Cafe and reconsidered. “Uh, nevermind...how about rock paper scissors?”

“Just take it.” Levi chuckled.

After the pizza was gone Eren snuggled up close to Levi's side, reveling in the comfort of his scent, and the arm he had wrapped around Eren's shoulders. They dozed off for a little while, then Levi woke up and made the bed with the freshly dried sheets. He woke Eren, invited him to stay if he wanted, which of course he did. They sleepily brushed their teeth, climbed into the bed, and fell asleep to the smell of fresh laundry.


	17. It's Fine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, it's been a while, sorry.

“Stop!” Levi woke with a start, sitting straight up, heart pounding. 

The room was black. He brought his knees up and rested his arms on them, trying to relax, to breath.

“You okay?” Came a whisper from the dark. 

“Shit.” Levi startled a little, then remembered Eren had slept over. “Fuck, I forgot you were here.” He took a couple deep breaths, then answered, “I'm fine.”

“Nightmare?”

Levi just nodded in response. 

“You want to tell me about it?” Eren asked.

“No.” 

In this nightmare instead of it being Isabel and Farlan injecting those last fatal hits, it had been Eren. How could he tell him about that? It was too much, too soon. All of it was. His insides were a knot of anxiety.

“You sure? Might make you feel better. I mean it's not real right, so - ”

“I don't want to fucking talk about.” Levi snapped.

It was silent for a moment, tension hanging in the air.

“Just trying to help.” Eren's voice was quiet.

Another moment passed, Levi took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly. “Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you.” 

Then he muttered something under his breath that sounded vaguely like the words 'What the fuck am I doing?', but Eren couldn't be sure. 

“It's okay.” Eren replied. His eyes were finally adjusted to the dark and he could see Levi, arms on his knees, head on his arms, the scars across his bare back visible in the pallid moonlight. Maybe he wanted to be alone. “Do you want me to leave? It's fine if you do.”

“No.” Levi finally looked over at Eren. “You know that first night you came over? How you told me you'd never been with a guy before?” 

“Yeah.” Eren nodded, unsure of where this was going.

“Well, I've never been with anyone before, like this.” Levi motioned between the two of them. “In fact, you're the only person I've ever let spend the night. And I've sure as hell never been anyone's boyfriend before.” he admitted. 

“Oh.” Eren felt flattered, but was starting to understand that Levi was nervous about jumping into a relationship.

“Sex I can handle, but I don't know shit about relationships.” He sighed. “Doing shows always gets me so amped up, and you were there with that cocky fucking smile and your bratty fucking attitude, and I just...Fuck, it's like whenever you're around I lose all self-control.” He sounded slightly frustrated. 

Eren couldn't help but smile a little at Levi's strange confession. “Hey, it's not like I'm some relationship expert myself. I've only been in a few, and none of them lasted very long, and they were all with girls, which it turns out I'm not very interested in.” he shrugged. “I just know that these last two weeks with you have been better than all the months with all of those girls combined, and I don't want it to end.”

“Neither do I,” Levi's eye held a reserved fear. “but there's a lot of fucked up shit you don't know about me Eren, and to be honest, I don't know if you'd want to be with me if you knew. Maybe that cop was right. Maybe you'd be better off with someone else.”

“No, I don't care about that shit.” Eren was shaking his head, a fire in his eyes. “Whether you tell me about that stuff or not, that's your business, it won't change anything. I can tell you're a good person. Bad people don't save me from drowning. Bad people don't walk little old ladies back home. I know you're a good person, and that's enough for me.”

All of Eren's words were full of such passion and certainty. No one had ever spoken to Levi like that, said those kinds of things to him, been so willing to overlook the worst and see the good, whether they knew the worst or not. Eren had this ability to just clear away some of the shadows in Levi's mind, instill some sort of long lost hope that he thought he'd never see again. It was like the life in those green eyes was a rope cast down into the pit of Levi's past, beckoning him to climb out. 

“And fuck that cop! Fuck him for saying that about you! Fuck him for cuffing you! I wanted to punch him so bad after he shoved you like that. Fuck him for even touching y -”

Eren's rant was cut short by Levi's lips, the fervor of his words melting into their kiss. He was surprised at first, breath catching, but was soon returning Levi's movements. The covetous motions of their mouths were broken intermittently as they tried to continue their conversation, unwilling to keep apart for too long. 

“I don't deserve you.” Levi whispered against Eren's lips.

“Yes you do.”

Eren moved in closer, slid one leg over Levi's lap so that he was straddling the raven-haired man. “We don't have to make a big deal about being together, not if it makes you uncomfortable.” He had a hand on either side of Levi's head, looking down into his eyes, fingers laced through the hair behind his ears. He brought their lips together again for a few more kisses before continuing. “And I know you don't like to share your personal life with other people, so we don't have to tell anyone else if you don't want.” Another kiss, their lips sticking together slightly as they parted. “All I care about it is spending time with you. Touching you.” 

With that Eren leaned back in for a more heated kiss, long and drawn out, tongue exploring, hips grinding into Levi in a way that made him moan against Eren's mouth.

They finally parted for air, and Levi looked up into Eren's eyes and whispered in a low voice, “Thank you, for understanding.” He kissed Eren again, slid his hands up Eren's back possessively.

The “You're welcome” that Eren whispered back ended their conversation. 

They stayed in that position for a long time, Eren in Levi's lap, savoring the closeness and the sensual feeling of their lips sliding over each other as they made-out for an immeasurable amount of time. Eventually, and reluctantly, they both agreed that since the sun would be rising soon, and they both had work later on, that they should probably go back to sleep. Eren slid up next to Levi in that spot he liked, hand on his chest, and they soon fell into a serene slumber.

Four hours later the room was filled with the sound of multiple text notifications from Eren's phone. First one, followed by a hope for silence, then three more spaced just far enough apart to be infuriating. 

“Fuck.” Levi grumbled. “Make it stop.”

“Sorry.” Eren rubbed his eyes and found his phone on the nightstand next to the bed. 

Eren unlocked his phone and began to read over the messages, all from Armin.

'Eeeeeeren.'

'Come hooome. I need you.'

The third was just a vomiting emoji.

'Check your snapchat.'

Eren let out a soft chuckle. Levi turned over and sleepily asked, “What's up?”

“It's Armin. I think he's super hungover. Wants me to check my snapchat.”

Levi just hummed in response and slid up next to Eren, watching as he brought up his snapchat app, revealing 9 snaps from Armin:

Video 1: [A couple of giggling girls were running up some stairs, Donovan right behind them saying, “After you ladies.” Two more girls were at the bottom of the stairs. One yelled up “Hey Donovan, where's Levi?” “Didn't come.” he called back. “Awww.” both girls whined in disappointment.]

“Who are they?” Eren looked to Levi.

“No idea.”

Video 2: [Reiner and Berthold had their arms linked, each chugging a beer while multiple people around them yelled 'Chug chug chug!'. When they were finished they smashed the empty cans together and yelled “Victory!”.]

They both snorted a laugh at that.

Video 3: [The camera was moving down an empty hallway approaching a door, Armin's hand reached out and pushed the door open to reveal Christa and Ymir making out against a bathroom sink. Christa looked to the camera and said, “Armin! Get out!” followed by Armin snickering.]

“Yeah, saw that one coming.” Levi commented.

Video 4: [A selfie video of Armin in a kitchen with the small girl from the bar. They each held a shot, clinked them together and said “Cheers!”. They downed the shots, Armin grimaced, the girl kissed Armin on the lips and he dropped the camera. The last image being his pink cheeks and wide eyes.]

Eren laughed.

Video 5: [Reiner and Berthold passed out on a couch leaning on each other.]

Video 6: [Selfie video of Armin in a different place, probably their apartment, looking pretty drunk. “Hey hey, Eren, I'm really glad you and Levi worked things out. He seems like a cool guy, and he's hot. His friends are wild, but really fun. I wish you had been there toni-”]

Video 7: [Camera on Armin again, squinting, one eye almost closed. “Eren...Eren. You're still my best friend though okay?...That's means you still have to hang-out with me sometimes...k?”]

Video 8: [Camera on Armin again sitting on the floor, he's giggling a lot, trying to talk. “I bet...I bet you guys are..” Giggling intensifies and he tips over sideways on the floor. “totally doing it right now…”]

Video 9: [Armin still lying sideways on the floor, still giggling, but not as much. “Eren, you owe me a drink, wait no two drinks.” He held up two fingers. “But, I'm going to charge you interest, so now you owe me...” He was thinking. “Three, no, two shots, and two cocktails. Cocktails!” He burst into laughter as if that was the funniest word he'd ever heard.]

“I bet he feels like shit today.” Levi said after the last video ended.

“Yeah, he wants me to come home and take care of him.” 

Eren set his phone down and looked over at Levi, took in the sight of him, then broke into a huge grin, followed by a slight giggle.

“What?”

“Aw you're so cute in the morning.”

Levi looked sleepy, his black hair all mussed up. He narrowed his eyes. “I am not cute.”

“That just makes you even cuter!” Eren laughed then pounced on top of him and started snuggling into him, peppering him with small pecks on his face and neck. 

“What the hell are you doing?”

Levi didn't know how to handle the attack, just recoiled a little furrowing his brow as Eren continued to nuzzle into him and smother him with kisses. They were lying down now, Eren on top.

“Stop.” Levi blinked. “I'm too tired for this shit. Go...help your friend.” 

“Nope.”

Eren wouldn't stop until he was satisfied, so Levi just let it happen, lay there awkwardly not knowing what to do with his hands. Finally Eren's barrage of snuggles ended and he looked down at Levi with a smile. 

“Alright, guess I'll go home and hold his hair back for him.”

“You should stop and get him a gatorade or something.”

“Oh that's a good idea, thanks.” Eren climbed off of Levi and the bed and dressed himself. “You don't have to get up, I can see myself out.”

Eren crossed to the bedroom door and before stepping out he smiled and said, “Hey good luck tonight at Sina.”

“Thanks.” Levi's lips were curved slightly. “Good luck with the new guy. Hopefully he doesn't suck too bad.”

“Thanks. See-ya.” Eren's smile was wide, eyes shining with affection as he looked at the sleepy man.

“Later brat.” 

After Eren left Levi lay back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling, thinking about the current state of his life. If someone had told him two weeks ago that he and Eren would be together now he wouldn't have believed it. He rolled over onto the side of the bed where Eren had slept, could feel his residual warmth, a ghost of his scent remaining in the pillow. It was nice, made him think of a river in a forest, and without meaning to he actually fell back asleep, waking later with just enough time to clean up and get to Sina. 

 

The first thing Erwin did when Levi arrived was show him where to clock-in, then gave him his uniform to change into. He changed in the restroom and reemerged wearing something like a fitted suit without the jacket, all black and clad with a thin tie and short waist apron. It felt a little strange at first looking so formal, but the outfit was comfortable enough. 

“Looks like it fits alright.” Erwin gave him a once over. “What do you think?”

“It's fine.” 

Erwin looked him over again, a little more slowly. “Not too tight?”

“No” Levi shook his head.

“Good.” He smiled. “Now let me introduce you to your crew, at least the ones who will be working with you at night.”

They walked through the restaurant to the bar portion of the building which was separate enough that it could stand alone as just a bar, remaining open until one a.m. whereas the restaurant portion stopped serving food at Midnight. There were two people behind the bar cleaning and prepping various things, as well as a couple well-dressed individuals relaxing with cocktails in various lounge chairs around the low-lit room. 

“Levi this is Oruo and Petra. They work weekday nights most of the time.” Erwin motioned to an older looking man with curly brown hair and a petite young woman with reddish hair, both wearing the same uniform as Levi. “Guys this is Levi. As I informed you, he's agreed to take some work off my hands by managing the bar. His word is law now.”

Petra met Levi's bored expression, glanced to his lip ring, blushed and voiced a small “Nice to meet you.” with a tiny wave.

Oruo looked over Levi's short stature, young appearance and muttered, “I didn't think you were going to hire a teenager...”

Levi cocked an eyebrow and gave Erwin a look. “Is he for real?”

Erwin kept a small smile under control and addressed Oruo, “Not that it matters, but Levi is pretty close to your same age Oruo, and I highly recommend getting on his good side, he knows what he's doing. Might want to start off on a better foot than that.”

Oruo's small eyes were wide as he looked back at Levi's glare, a look that could make you feel like you just fell through the surface of a frozen lake. “Nice to meet you.” he gulped.

Levi just nodded in response, glancing between the two of them, silently sizing them up. They were both avoiding eye contact with him. Petra was looking at Levi's feet, cheeks still rosy, Oruo was awkwardly looking around at anything and started to wipe the counter down with a bar towel next to him. 

Erwin turned to Levi, “Mike, Nanaba, Eld, and Tomas are all part of your team as well, but they cover the day shifts and the weekend, so you won't see much of them.”

“I'm going to go show Levi some of the more detailed aspects of the job.” Erwin said to Oruo and Petra. “He'll be back with the two of you later to get familiar with the recipes.”

For the next two hours Erwin showed Levi the paperwork side of the job; placing orders, how to check inventory, making the schedule, all the boring but necessary stuff. He silently soaked it all in and asked questions if he had any. It all seemed fairly simple to him. When they were finished, Erwin gave Levi a sort of recipe book for the bar cocktails and sent him back to the bar to get familiar with the beverages, then he disappeared into the restaurant side as the dinner rush was in full swing. 

Levi stood back for a while, watched Petra and Oruo work, made mental notes of the locations of all the different liquors, beers, and wines. Once he felt like he had a decent grasp on the layout of the bar he started practicing some recipes, getting a feel for all the utensils. He was in kind of a zone, focused on his task until her heard…

“Hey doll.”

He glanced up to see a middle-aged man sitting at the bar, looking at Petra with a depraved expression. Levi continued his work whilst keeping an eye on the situation.

“What are you drinking today?” Petra asked.

“Oh I think you know...” The man smirked.

She was starting to look a little uncomfortable. “The Summer Wit?”

“That's the one.”

Petra turned around to a short refrigerator behind her, bent over and retrieved a bottle of beer from the lowest shelf. The man was unabashedly admiring her backside. She turned back around, popped the cap off and slid it to the man. Levi's eyes were narrowed, his full attention on the situation now.

“You know why I always get the Wit right?” The man asked in a low voice, leaning in.

Petra shook her head.

“Well it's on the lowest shelf you see...” He took a swig, a perverted glint in his eyes and whispered, “Gives me a great view of your tight little ass. Only wish they had you girls wear skirts instead of dressing like men.”

Levi stepped up next to an incredibly uncomfortable Petra and casually said to the man, “Why don't you bend over, let's see your ass.”

“Excuse me?!” 

“You heard me.” Levi glared. “You want to order a drink that's fine, but you don't get to say shit like that here.”

“Who the hell are you?” The man wore a smug look.

“He's the bar manager.” Petra chimed in before Levi could say anything. 

“Well of course you are.” He huffed. “Stepping in to ruin all the fun.”

“Go have your fun somewhere else. Perhaps Topside would better suite your tastes.” Levi said with feigned courtesy. Topside was notorious for being the trashiest strip club in all of Shiganshina, to suggest it suited someone's taste was most certainly an insult.

The two of them were in a stare-down now, but no human alive could ever stand up to Levi's icy gray irises and soon the man looked away, snatched his beer up and shuffled away into the restaurant side of the building. 

“Fucking prick.” Levi muttered

“Thanks.” Petra sighed.

“You don't have to put up with that shit you know. If anything like that happens again you can tell them to fuck off.” 

“Okay.” She smiled.

Levi turned back to his cocktail practice, his look of contempt melting back into that of placid apathy. Oruro had seen the interaction from the other end of the bar, and if he'd had any doubts about this short, lip ring wearing man being their new boss they were now quashed and replaced with a silent admiration. 

Petra watched Levi's hands work, they moved gracefully between tools, glass, bottles and the shaker, building a cocktail to completion.

“So, Erwin said you were working at Cafe Rose for a long time, did you bartend before that?”

“No.”

“Oh, well...you just seem to already know what you're doing, so I thought maybe you had.” 

“Making cocktails isn't very different from making coffee. Different tools, different ingredients, same idea.” He shrugged. 

“Guess you're just a natural.” She smiled. 

He had no response, so she just got back to work helping customers and assisting Oruo in making any drinks the servers needed for the restaurant side.

Business picked up and although Erwin had suggested that Levi just shadow and practice for the night, he ended up helping customers anyway to keep up with the demand. The majority of the people he helped were decent enough, but at one point a man came up and asked for a rum and coke, no coke. 

“Do you want the lime?” Levi asked.

“No. No lime. I hate limes.”

“So just rum then.” 

“No, that's not what I said. I said rum and coke, no coke.”

“And no lime.”

“Right.”

Levi sighed, rolled his eyes, and poured some rum over ice, slid it to the man.

“Where's the tall glass? Rum and coke usually comes in the taller glass.”

“You're kidding right?” Levi wished the man was kidding, but knew he wasn't.

“Ask the redhead girl, she knows, she usually makes it for me.”

Levi took a moment to collect all of his patience, then held up a highball glass and said, “You want that, in here?”

“Yeah.” The man nodded. 

Levi grabbed the man's drink, poured it into the highball glass, then slid it back.

“Thanks.” The man said. He downed the rum in two gulps, set the glass down, put some cash on the counter and left the bar. 

Levi blinked after him, trying to contain the confused rage that was building up within him. “Un-fucking-believable.” he whispered to himself.

“He does that every time.” Petra laughed a little at the look on Levi's face. 

By the time one a.m. rolled around he was feeling pretty comfortable in the new environment, had most of the recipes memorized already. Oruo showed him the closing checklist that had to be completed before leaving for the night. He glanced over it then looked back up at Oruo.

“How come sweeping, mopping and bathrooms aren't on here?”

“Oh, the cleaning crew does that stuff after we leave.”

“Cleaning crew?” Levi cocked an eyebrow.

“Yeah, since the restaurant is so large Erwin hires out a separate cleaning crew that comes in just to do that stuff. Otherwise we'd be here all night. We just have to restock things, wash the glasses and utensils and make sure the tables are all cleaned up. Oh, and take the trash out.”

“No shit.” Closing the bar at Sina was going to be a piece of cake compared to Cafe Rose. 

Once the three of them were done tidying up and the last few customers left, Levi asked, “Who usually closes out the register?”

“Erwin.” Oruo answered.

“Yeah, we're not trained on that.” Petra added.

“Hm. Well I guess you two can take off. I'll hang around to see if Erwin wants me to do anything else.”

“Okay, it was nice working with you, and thanks again for earlier.” Petra said.

“No problem.”

“Bye.” She said with a little wave and walked away.

“See you tomorrow boss.” Oruo held out a hand.

“Right.” Levi shook his hand, scrutinizing whether Oruo's use of the word 'boss' was sarcastic or not and decided that it seemed genuine enough.

He was alone in the bar now, waiting for Erwin, looking around at the decor. After a couple minutes he decided to fuck it and just close the register himself. It was the same system as Cafe Rose, so he wasn't too worried about it. He finished up, found an empty money bag on a shelf underneath, and zipped all the cash up just as Erwin walked into the bar. 

“I closed up the register.” Levi held out the money bag. “Hope you don't mind.”

“See.” Erwin smiled, taking the bag. “That's exactly why I wanted you here. You get things done. I can't tell you how much smoother things went tonight not having to worry about the bar. I meant to come over and check in with you, see how things were going, just didn't get a chance. Sorry.”

“No problem.”

“So how was it? What do you think?”

“It's fine.”

“Just fine?” Erwin raised his eyebrows. 

“It's a nice change of pace.” Levi admitted with a shrug. 

“Good.” Erwin nodded. “Why don't you make us each a drink, a toast to your new position here, while I go lock this up.” He held up the money bag.

Levi thought about declining, but figured he could go for one drink. It'd take a lot more than one drink to get him to the level of not being able to drive. “What do you want?”

“Surprise me.” Erwin answered as he left the room.

When Erwin returned, Levi was just finishing up his beverage and slid it across the counter to him. 

“Martini. How did you know?” Erwin asked.

“Just a guess.”

“What are you drinking?” He nodded to Levi's glass.

“Vodka tonic.”

“Simple, I like it. Cheers.”

The two of them sat at the bar sipping their drinks. Erwin did most of the talking. He was reminiscing about when Sina first opened, telling Levi about what had changed since then, about some terrible past employees. Levi just nodded, said a few things here and there, but was mostly quiet. When Erwin's story wound down, and their glasses were empty, Levi stood, collected their glasses and said, “I should probably head home.” Erwin agreed, told Levi to leave the glasses in the sink, they could be washed tomorrow, and thanked him again for accepting his offer.

“Same time tomorrow?” Levi asked after gathering his things. 

“Same time. Have a good night Levi.”

“You too.” 

The ride home was pleasant, and he'd never tell Eren, but he decided not to wear his helmet so that it'd be more enjoyable. His smarter half though, did reprimand him for doing something so stupid. Back at his apartment, he finally had a chance to look at his phone and saw that he had some texts from Eren.

6:31pm - “New guy's name is Jean. Seems okay I guess.”

7:04pm -“Just had an americano race by myself...that was lame.”

Levi chuckled.

9:57pm - “changed my mind, Jean is a total jerk-off!”

11:12pm - “Okay maybe that was a little harsh, he is new, but still...”

12:47am - “grrrr I pretty much just had to rewash all the dishes because he didn't actually scrub them fml”

1:28am - “Finally home. This new guy is going to take some getting used to. He just kinda gets under my skin, don't really know what it is. Hope your night is going okay. When are going to get off now?”

Levi checked the time, 2:39am. He debated with himself about whether or not it was too late, but sent the message anyway.

Levi 2:41am -“You still awake?”

Eren 2:42am - “no but I can be”

He smiled.

Levi 2:44am - “Go back to sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow.”

Eren 2:45am - “k night night old man”

Levi 2:45am - “Night brat.”


	18. A Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is pretty short, but also pretty smutty. So...does that even things out? I dunno. *shrugs*

The two of them talked briefly before work on Tuesday, then headed into shifts much the same as the night before. Wednesday passed similarly, their time apart just increasing the giddy anticipation of contact with one another. It was now Thursday. Eren had just finished eating some breakfast and was playing a game in the living room of his apartment. Of course he wanted to talk to Levi, but seeing as how Levi's shifts now ended later than his, he'd let Levi call him when he was awake. 

“Come on Armin, it's easy...all you gotta do is reach out in front of you and grab the controller, then press start. You know you want to...”

“Stop being a bad influence Eren, I have to work on this.” Armin didn't even look up from his textbook.

“I hate your dumb homework.” Eren grumbled. 

“I'll play with you later.”

“Later I will be at work with ass-face new guy. I wish Levi hadn't left.” Eren sighed to himself.

“His face doesn't really look like a butt does it?” Armin asked mildly curious.

“No. More like a…horse maybe? Well, I dunno, maybe it's just his teeth...Horse-face McIdiot...” Eren started muttering different variations of a new nickname while Armin stifled some giggles, still trying to concentrate on his book.

Eren's phone lit up and vibrated across the coffee table. He paused his game and his heart did a flip when he saw that Levi was calling him.

“Hey.” He answered.

“Hey. What are you doing?” Levi's voice seemed a little different than normal, a little strained?

“Uh, playing a game in the living room while Armin does his stupid homework. What's up?” He furrowed his brow.

“Go into your room and close the door.”

“Why, what's going on?” Eren was starting to get a little worried, about what, he wasn't sure. 

“Just do it. I had a dream.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Armin glanced up to Eren and they exchanged a look before Eren headed down the hallway to his bedroom. 

“That bad huh?” Eren asked with some concern in his voice, and closed the door behind him. 

“No it was a good dream for once.”

“Oh nice. Like a flying dream? Those are the best.” Eren sat on the edge of his bed, relieved to hear Levi hadn't suffered through another nightmare. 

Levi chuckled. “No, like a sex dream.”

“Ooh.” Eren could feel his skin flushing hot. “Who were you having sex with?”

“You brat. Woke up before it ended though...” Levi's voice was low and rough from sleep. 

“Are you…hard?” The question made him blush.

“Very.”

“Still in bed?”

“Mmhm.”

“Naked?”

“Yep.”

“Fuuuuuuuuck.” Eren groaned at the image and flopped back on his bed. He wished he was there so bad.

“So do you want to hear about the dream?”

“Do you even have to ask?”

“What are you wearing?”

“Uh,” Eren looked down at himself. “Just jeans and a dark blue shirt.”

“Take them off and lay on your bed.”

Eren's heart was starting to pound harder. “K, hang on.” He set his phone down, had enough sense to lock his door, and then stripped down to his boxers and lay on his bed. He picked the phone back up. “Okay, done.”

“Good. Alright, so I started out in a room of some kind. It was pitch black, I couldn't see anything. I was wandering around trying to find a way out, but there weren't any doors or windows or anything. And it was really cold, all the walls felt like ice, and if I touched them for too long my hands would start to freeze to them.”

“Are you sure this wasn't a nightmare...”

“Shut it, it get's better.”

“Alright.”

“So I sat in the middle of the room, trying to stay away from the ice, and then it was like the room just kind of melted and suddenly I was on the beach, in that cove that we went to. It was night, warm, and I was sitting on a blanket by myself. The moon was full. Then you just walked up out of the waves, wearing a full suit, soaking wet, and I said, 'Took you long enough.'”

“A suit huh?” Eren smiled. 

Levi breathed a laugh. “Yeah. But you started taking it off as you walked up the beach towards me. First the tie, then the coat, the vest, just tossing them to the side, until we were standing face to face, very close, and you just had on black pants, and the white dress shirt. The shirt was pretty much see-through from being wet, clinging to you. I ran my hands over your chest, then unbuttoned the shirt, slowly, one button at a time and slid it off of you.”

Eren thought that Levi's regular voice was sexy, but the way he was speaking now was downright erotic. Slow, dark, sultry...come to think of it, Eren didn't think he'd ever heard Levi speak so much at once and he was very much enjoying listening. 

“As soon as your shirt was off we started kissing for a while, getting pretty heated. Then you took my shirt off and I started kissing your neck, biting you a little, lower and lower, down over your chest and your stomach, until I was kneeling in front of you taking your pants off.”

Eren's breathing was becoming ragged, his cock twitching with arousal under the fabric of his boxers. 

“You still there?” Levi asked, his breathing uneven as well. 

“Yeah.” Eren swallowed.

“Good.” Levi all but moaned back, compounding Eren's excitement.

“Are you…?” He was too embarrassed to add the words 'touching yourself', but he figured Levi would get the gist.

“Mmhm.”

Eren let out a small moan that was almost a whine and bit at his bottom lip.

“You hard yet?”

Eren just nodded and then realized that Levi couldn't see him, so he whispered, “Yeah, yeah I'm hard.” trying to keep his voice low enough that Armin wouldn't hear him. 

“You should probably take care of that.” The smirk on his lips was practically audible. “You still wearing your boxers?”

“Uh huh.”

“Take them off.”

Eren maneuvered out of his last article of clothing with his free hand, leaving him entirely naked. “They're off.”

“Now, where was I...”

“On your knees, taking my pants off.” Just saying those words had his hand traveling down over his exposed skin to the base of his erection.

“Mmmm, right. So, I slid your pants off, then your underwear, which was a black thong by the way, very sexy on you. Then I wrapped my hand around your cock and slid my mouth over you, taking you as far as I could.”

Eren's hand was moving now and he was trying to keep his noises to a minimum. Lucky for Levi though, he could hear them perfectly, could even tell that Eren was struggling to keep them under control, which just made him enjoy those sweet sounds all the more. 

“I kept licking, sucking on you, slow and deep, your hands in my hair, until you were...very hard...and I could taste that you were dripping...” Levi was struggling now to keep his voice steady, was breathing hard, small suppressed moans, slipping their way in-between words. “Then I stood up, we kissed roughly while you slid my pants off. I grabbed your shoulders...threw you onto the blanket, and then...”

The words stopped and there was just the sound of their labored breathing until Eren realized through his haze of lust that Levi wasn't speaking anymore. “And then...what?”

“I woke up.”

“Noooooo.” Eren whined. 

“Yeah.”

“What a tease!”

“Tell me about it.” Levi sighed.

“Well shit, now what?”

“Well...I was hoping maybe you could pick up where the dream left off...”

“Um, I don't know if I really know what I'm doing here...” Eren was nervous about continuing such a perfect scenario, thought he might ruin it somehow. 

“Oh I think you do. Just describe what you would want to happen if the dream hadn't ended.” 

The desire in Levi's voice was enough to bring him out of his comfort zone, he'd give it shot. “Okay...” Eren took a deep breath. “So, you threw me on the blanket...and then somehow you just had the tie that I'd been wearing in your hands, even though I took it off way down the beach. You climb on top of me, pin my arms above my head, and kiss me. A really dirty kiss, lots of tongue, really aggressive, and as you pull away you bite my bottom lip. Then you take the tie, my hands are still above my head, and you tie my wrists together.”

“Mmmm.” Levi was liking where this was going.

The moan that Eren's story had elicited so far gave him a little more confidence to keep going. “Then you kiss me again, and slide your hands down me, over my hips, to my thighs...and just when I think you're going to fuck me...you stop and tell me to close my eyes and keep them closed. So I do...”

It was harder than Eren realized to simultaneously touch himself and tell a dirty story that he was making up on the fly. He was blinking, trying to clear his head enough to keep going.

“And...” The anticipation is Levi's voice was rich.

“Sorry.” Eren laughed a little. “It's hard to think straight. Okay...uh, so my eyes are closed and then I feel the tip of your dick...against my lips, so I open my mouth and take you in deep, but it's different somehow and I don't realize what's different about the way it feels until I feel your lips slide over my cock.”

Levi groaned. “Unexpected. See, you're good at this.”

“Thanks.” Eren breathed and continued. “Uh, so you start fucking my mouth...rough...and it's kinda hard to breath cuz you're so big...but I like it.” Eren was really struggling to get the words out now, bordering on becoming incoherent with pleasure, but he took a deep breath and went on. “And your mouth is so warm and wet...and your tongue feels so good...”

Eren could tell that Levi was close now by the way he was muttering soft curse words in-between moans.

“You're so hard that I'm almost choking and...I can feel your moans on my dick…as you keep sucking me off. And I want to touch you so bad...but I can't...cuz my hands are still tied. Then you come in my mouth...so deep that I can't taste it, but I wish I could...and I love the way your cock feels pulsing on my tongue.” Eren's voice was a low, labored whisper at this point.

The guttural 'fuck' that Eren heard through the phone was evidence that Levi had reached his peak. Eren was close himself. He tried to keep going with the scenario, but it was so difficult to form words with such a frenzied state of mind.

“And then...you take me deep...sucking hard...and...god...fuck...I….mmmmm.” Eren was desperately trying to keep his moans quiet, within the walls of his room, as he climaxed, spilling onto his hand and stomach. 

They both lay there in a state of bliss, chests heaving, neither of them saying anything for a few moments. Levi was the first to recover his ability to speak.

“Fuck me brat,” He laughed a little, still trying to catch his breath. “I'd tell you to quit Rose Cafe and get a job as a phone sex operator, but I'm not willing to share.”

Eren just laughed, still trying to find his voice.

“Seriously, you're good at that.”

“Thanks.” Eren smiled. There was something special about receiving a compliment from the raven-haired man, like somehow his praise meant more than other people's. “So what are you going to do now?”

Levi hummed in thought. “Clean up, go through my exercise routine and for a run, try to get my ex to finally sign the divorce papers, laundry...”

Eren's eyes went wide before he realized Levi was joking. “Heeey, not funny.” He smiled.

Levi let out a dark chuckle. Eren was so easy to tease, he just couldn't resist.

“When do we get to hang out? Saturday?” Eren was so used to spending so much time with the man, a few days seemed like forever.

“Yeah, probably. No later.” Levi was experiencing his own strange pining feelings, something quite foreign to him at this point in his life. 

“Hey, I'm glad you finally had a good dream.” Eren said, then with feigned disappointment added, “Even though it wasn't a flying dream.”

Levi chuckled. “Maybe next time we'll fuck in the air.”

Eren laughed a little. “Sounds difficult.”

“Indeed. I'll text you later okay?”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Bye Eren.”


	19. What Are You Doing?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to update with a new chapter every week, but sometimes the words just won't come to me, and I'd rather take a little longer to write a chapter that is hopefully better than if I just force it. Thanks for still reading and being awesome, I love your comments.

“What the hell Jean?!” Eren rushed over to the espresso machine to shut off the steam wand, milk bubbling out of the top of the metal pitcher it was placed in. 

“What?” Jean's voice was defensive. He stood at the other end of the machine pulling some shots.

“What do you mean 'What?'? You just burnt all this milk and now it's spilled all over the counter.” Eren was trying to reign in his frustration. 'It's Friday, it's almost over.' he kept telling himself. “You can't just leave the milk to steam itself, you have to watch it!”

“Well soooorry.” Jean didn't sound sorry at all. “At my last job the wands shut off automatically when they hit the right temperature.”

“Yeah, well, this isn't your last job. You actually have to have some skill to work here.” Eren was fully aware of how unprofessional it was to be having this argument out front, within earshot of customers, which is why he was whispering vehemently. 

“Are you saying I don't have any skill?” 

Eren was cleaning up the mess, preparing some new milk while he responded. “Ugh, no. I'm saying...just finish the drink. And stop making messes everywhere you go.”

“Jeez, somebody's a neat freak.” Jean muttered.

“Ha! Ha ha. I'm a neat freak?” The idea was laughable to Eren. His cleanliness was a skill developed out of fear for his life, a survival instinct he picked up in the first month of working with Levi. Frankly, Jean would probably be dead by now had Levi been the one to work with him. “Try working with Levi for half a year, then come talk to me about it.” Eren handed him the perfect velvety milk he'd just frothed.

“Levi? He's the guy I replaced right?”

“You did not replace him.” Eren emphasized the word 'replace'. “You just took over the shifts he used to work.”

“Small latte for Brad!” Jean called out, then turned back to Eren with a look that said 'You're an idiot.' “That's the same thing.”

“No, it's not.” Nobody could replace Levi.

Jean sighed and rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

The night continued in this manner, Jean using his last job as an excuse for any mistakes he made, and Eren coming close to just yelling “Then go back to your last job!”, but he didn't, because he was in control of his emotions, calm and collected like Levi. He wished. 

Not all of their interactions were bad. They did have a few moments scattered throughout their clashes where it seemed like maaaaybe they could get along. Maybe they weren't so different, could possibly develop some sort of friendship? 

“Hey, Eren, come here.” Jean snickered, looking down at a drink he'd just finished. 

“What?” Eren said flatly as he walked over to see what in the hell the idiot wanted. 

“Look.” 

Atop the beverage, a white silhouette against tan crema, was a perfect foam penis.

Eren couldn't help the laugh that slipped out. “Oh my god. How did you pour that?”

“I wish I could take credit, but honestly? It was a total accident.”

“Oh man, it's so perfect, it even has balls. Ha haha.”

“I know right?”

“You can't serve it like that though. You're going to have to ruin it.”

“Well duh, I'm not an idiot Eren.” 

And there they were slipping back into the bickering.

Eren just sighed as Jean grabbed a spoon, getting ready to destroy the beautiful frothy dick, then he decided he wanted to take a picture to send to Levi. He might find it amusing. “Hold up, I want to take a picture first.”

Jean halted the spoon as Eren took out his phone and snapped a quick photo. “Why? So you can jerk off to it later?” He smirked.

“Oh my god Jean, could you just never speak again please?”

“It's cuz I'm right isn't it?” Jean was still wearing a stupid grin.

“Would just call the drink out already, it's probably cold by now.”

“I would've already, but you're the one who had to have a picture.”

“Latte to stay for Jenny!” Eren called over Jean's shoulder, took the drink from his hands and set it on the counter glaring at his coworker. 'Just a few more hours.' Eren repeated to himself. “I'm going to run to the bathroom. Think you can avoid burning the place down for five minutes?”

“Wow, I know I'm new so I probably shouldn't say this, but you're kind of an asshole Eren.”

Eren stared back at Jean with narrowed eyes. Neat freak? Asshole? He was starting to understand Levi so much more. The constant scowl, the 'no bullshit' attitude, it was all making sense now. Five whole years of training dipshits like Jean, no wonder he jumped at the chance to get away.

“Yeah, like I said earlier, you should probably just never talk again.” Eren turned and stalked away to the bathroom.

He didn't actually need to use the bathroom, he just wanted a minute away from Horse-face McIdiot. Eren locked the door behind him, sighed and leaned against the wall. It had been a long week, felt like a month, and the fact that him and Levi hadn't seen each other since Monday morning was just making it seem that much longer. He pulled his phone out and sent the picture of the foam dick to Levi with the text - “Jean poured this tonight, pretty funny how perfect it is. It was an accident of course, idiot has zero skills. Still funny.”

Then after a moment of thought he sent another text that said - “Also, sorry for all the times that I called you a neat freak or an asshole.”

To Eren's surprise he actually got a response. He had expected Levi to be too busy to look at his phone. 

Levi - “Hm, it's nice, but I prefer yours.”

Eren blushed.

Levi - “I really hope you didn't serve it like that.”

Eren was about to respond that they hadn't, but then he realized that between the picture, their bickering, and Eren snatching the mug out of Jean's hand that...shit. He had no memory of Jean stirring it up. Oops. He laughed nervously to himself.

Eren - “Uuuuh, we might have accidentally served it like that…”

Levi - “What the fuck Jaeger?”

Jaeger. Eren smiled. It was like Levi was at the shop, still his boss, chastising him in his usual manner. Made him miss the man even more.

Eren - “Oops. I blame it on Jean, he was being an idiot as usual and distracted me.”

Levi - “Judging from your apology he must be getting to you.”

Eren - “Yeah, he just called me an asshole.”

Levi - “Who the fuck does this kid think he is?! That's it, I'll be there in ten to kick his ass.”

Eren - “Ha ha, I wish. Actually I didn't expect you to respond. Thought you'd be too busy.”

Levi - “Just finishing up a break. Have to get back soon.”

Eren - “I'm hiding in the bathroom. Had to get away before I stabbed him or something.”

Levi - “You're starting to sound like me.”

Eren - “Ha, yeah, I think that's why he called me an asshole.”

Levi - “You know that by saying that you're basically just calling me an asshole right?”

Eren - “Uh…sorry? Ha ha.”

Levi - “How do I roll my eyes at you through text?”

Eren laughed to himself. 

Eren - “So are we still going to hang-out tomorrow?”

Levi - “Of course. What do you want to do?”

Eren - “Well, Armin is going to be gone most of the day, so I thought maybe you could come over to my place and we could play some games together or something. If you want.”

Levi - “I'm not much of a gamer, but if that's what you want to do that's fine.”

Eren - “And maybe I could make lunch for us.”

Levi - “Make?”

Eren - “Yeah. My mom used to cook a lot, taught me some things. I'm actually a pretty good cook, or so Armin says.”

Levi - “I'm intrigued. I have to go now. I'll talk to you when I got off if you're still awake.”

Eren - “Okay, sounds good.”

 

Sina was, unsurprisingly, quite busy on Friday nights. From the moment he'd returned from his short break to 1:30am Levi didn't have a moment to breath. Just order after order from people in the lounge area as well as from the servers on the restaurant side. Not to mention how he had to keep one eye on Oruo at all times. The man meant well and was skilled enough when it came to building cocktails, where he fell short, however, was in his strange attempt at showmanship. He was constantly trying to pour from the shaker into the glass from far too high. This resulted in more than a few drops of his drinks hitting the counter instead of the glass. Eventually Levi had an opportunity to whisper a contained growl of “It doesn't matter how good your drink is if half of it ends up on the counter.”. To which Oruo replied, “Sorry boss.”, the rouge of embarrassment flushing lightly on his cheeks. Thankfully after that encounter Oruo managed to make the majority of the liquid into the rest of his drinks. 

As always the extra business resulted in extra work that needed to be done once the last customers left and the doors were locked. Typically the three of them, Levi, Oruo, and Petra, would separate out the cleaning duties. Oruo usually ended up in the back washing the glasses and utensils, Petra restocking everything behind the bar, and Levi cleaning up the seating area and taking out the trash. During these times Levi could feel Petra's eyes on him, watching as he wiped all the tables down. It was reminiscent of the times he could feel Eren's eyes on him at Rose Cafe, and he couldn't help but wish those eyes following him from behind the bar were the bright green ones he'd grown so accustomed to these last six months. 

When Oruo and Petra finished their work they would bid Levi goodnight and he'd stay to close up the register. He'd pass the money along to Erwin to lock into the safe, after which Erwin would invite him to stay for a drink, and Levi would decline, Erwin responding “Perhaps next time.” with a smile. It was a sort of pattern they had fallen into, and Levi wondered if Erwin would invite him to stay for a drink every night. 

 

Saturday, finally. Eren had just invited Levi into his apartment, was giving him 'the tour'. 

“It smells nice in here.” Levi commented, looking around. The brat had obviously cleaned for him, how sweet.

Eren raised an eyebrow and gave him a strange smile. “It smells like Pine-Sol.”

“My statement stands.”

Eren just chuckled at that and continued to show him around. 

“And here...is the beautiful view from my apartment.” Eren pulled some curtains back to reveal the brick wall of the building next-door and a dumpster on the asphalt below. “You don't have to say anything, I know you're jealous.”

“It's...very nice.” Levi said with a serious and contemplative expression, as if examining a painting in a museum. “I particularly enjoy the cabbage and banana peels off to the side, gives it just the touch of color that it needs.”

“Shut up.” Eren laughed.

Levi's lips twitched resisting a smile and he raised an eyebrow in mock offense, keeping up his pseudo-sophisticated tone. “Is that any way to treat a guest?”

Eren rolled his eyes, smiling back at the man. He hadn't seen much of this side of Levi, the side that wasn't angry, that joked around. He thought is was...well, fucking adorable. Though, he might get slugged if he called Levi 'adorable', so he'd keep that to himself. 

Levi stepped to Eren, put a hand around his neck and pulled him in for their first kiss since early Monday morning. It was soft and electric, a warm current that gently spread from their points of contact out across their skin and deep down inside. Theirs lips broke apart and rejoined at various angles, as if they were sampling each other, trying to remember how the other tasted. It lasted maybe a minute before they separated and just looked at each other for a moment, an unspoken 'I missed you.' passing between their eyes. 

“Are you hungry?” Eren asked, his voice almost a whisper so as to not break the spell that had fallen over them during their kiss.

Levi responded with just a nod. 

“K, come on.” Eren lead the way back into the kitchen. “So, I noticed that you don't really eat very much meat, so I decided to make vegetable puffs.”

The kid was observant as well. “And what is a vegetable puff exactly?”

Eren explained as he gathered some things from the fridge. “Well...they're kind of like a home-made version of a Hot Pocket with just vegetables in it, but way better, and way healthier too.”

“I see.”

“I already made the dough, and combined all the vegetables, so all we have to do is fold them up and then bake them. They cook really fast too, only takes like fifteen minutes.” Eren explained, his tone matter-of-fact.

“You made the dough?” Levi was impressed. 

“Yeah, that part takes the longest, that's why I did it earlier.” Eren washed his hands, got the oven preheating, and started preparing an area for them to work. 

Levi washed his hands as well and awaited instructions from Eren. The brunette showed him how to separate and shape the dough, how much filling to put in, and then how to fold it together. Then they got to work. There were definitely going to be leftovers, which Eren said was the best part about making a big batch. 

This experience was new for the raven-haired man, and the glimpse of bashfulness that may have surfaced that first night when he'd asked Eren to stay after with him at the shop, might be resurfacing now as they stood next to each other in Eren's kitchen. 

“So do you cook very often?” Eren asked.

“Uh, no, not really.” More like never. 

“Oh, so what do you normally eat? Like, what do you have for breakfast usually?”

The question was simple enough, but was something he'd never really thought about. What did he eat for breakfast? “Shit, I don't know...”

“You do eat breakfast right?” Eren joked. There was so much he wanted to know about Levi and so much that the man kept to himself that even something as simple as his eating habits were captivating to the brunette.

“Uh...sometimes I have tea, or a protein drink.” Levi looked to Eren.

Their eyes locked for a moment before they simultaneously cracked smiles. Levi exhaled a short laugh, realizing how ridiculous it must sound for him to not know what he eats. “Okay, so I don't have the best eating habits.” he admitted.

“Hey, I'm not gonna judge.” Eren shrugged.

Levi turned his attention back to the puff he was working on, seemed to be thinking for a moment, and then spoke. “My parents didn't cook, so they didn't teach me anything, and then with my uncle, well...” A shadow seemed to be creeping across Levi's face and his voice took on a bitter tone. “I don't know if that bastard even ate, so...after him...”

He went quiet, like he'd slipped into another reality for a few seconds before blinking back into the current situation. “Shit. I fucked this one up.” His attention had refocused on the dough he had been attempting to fold over. 

Levi had indeed 'fucked up' the current vegetable puff he'd been working on. Normally Eren would wonder if he'd done it on purpose to draw attention away from the direction the conversation was heading, but not this time. He'd seemed legitimately distracted and it was an honest mistake. 

“It's alright, we can fix it.” Eren reached over to assist. “It helps if you get a little more water on your fingers, the dough sticks together better.” He smiled at Levi, a smile that silently told him that they could change the subject.

“Thanks.”

“That's the last one. Now we just have to wait fifteen minutes.” 

Eren placed their tray of puffs in the oven and set a timer. They cleaned up the area they'd been working in and washed their hands again. 

“So what do you want to do while they cook?” Eren leaned against the counter. 

Levi looked the brunette up and down, slowly, in a way that made Eren nervous, made him blush. Eren was wearing a gray-blue cotton shirt and dark jeans, both of which were hugging his lean form delectably. 

“Mmmm.” Levi hummed in appreciation as he stepped in close to Eren, breathing in the light scent of his cologne, snaking his arms around his waist. “How about...” Levi's lips whispered against Eren's, the metal ring almost tickling Eren's bottom lip. Then their mouths pressed together, Levi moving in even closer, pinning Eren against the kitchen counter, mouth moving hungrily against his. But apparently there was more to Levi's sentence, and he pulled back to finish it. “...you tell me about...” another quick kiss “...what else you can cook.”

Eren hadn't been expecting that and he smiled. “Uh...” he breathed out a shaky breath. Levi had started running a hand through Eren's hair, his lips languidly trailing from Eren's mouth, across his jaw, and to his neck. Eren gulped. 

“Well...I can make...lasagna.” His voice was low and kind of husky.

Levi hummed in response, the vibration sending a pleasant shiver down Eren's spine. “What else?” he whispered against Eren's soft skin.

“Um, I'm pretty good at making breakfast foods, omelets, and...” Eren took a deep breath in. “especially french toast.”

Levi's mouth was on Eren's again kissing sensuously and then whispering, “I do like french toast.”

“I'll...” Eren kissed back, flicked his tongue over Levi's top lip. “...have to make it for you sometime.”

“Mmmhmm.” Was the only response Levi could voice as Eren began to ravish his mouth, deepening their kiss.

Eren's hands were now traveling over Levi's sides and around to his back, pulling him in tighter, as if they couldn't possibly be close enough. They remained in this way, making-out against the kitchen counter for the remainder of the fifteen minutes, and then the timer blared loudly causing both of them to jump. They breathed a laugh out together, then ignored it for another minute, enjoying their closeness too much, until it beeped again and they sighed against each other's lips, Levi backing away.

They ate at a small table in the kitchen. Levi commented that the puffs were almost better than the fried artichokes they'd had at Titan's, and he was not a man of flattery, he really did mean it. 

Eren's immediate response was, “No, no way. That's blasphemy, nothing is better than those artichokes.” 

“Well I did say 'almost'.” Levi smirked.

“Okay, I'll accept 'almost'.”

Conversation turned to work, each of them asking the other how their week had been, talking in more depth about things they'd only just mentioned during their short conversations throughout the week. Eren had quite a lot of expressive words to say regarding his new coworker. Levi just listened to him vent, thinking once again that Eren was kind of cute when he was mad. 

“Can't wait to meet him.” Levi said sarcastically. “Sounds charming.”

“Oh he'll piss you off more than me, he's such a slob.”

“So fire him.”

“Ha! Well, for one, I don't have the authority to fire people like you did, though I did get a bit of a raise...which is nice. But, the other thing is he's got some weird connection with Erwin somehow. I think Erwin is friends with his cousin? Or older brother? I'm not sure, something like that. That's why he got hired in the first place.”

Levi hummed in disapproval. “Sounds like you're stuck with him for a while.”

“Yeah, it's bullshit.” Eren sighed. “It's not all bad though. Sometimes he can be pretty funny and we almost get along, but then he always says something stupid that ruins everything. Whatever, guess it's only been one week, maybe things will get better.”

And there Eren was, back to his optimistic attitude.

They cleaned up and moved to the living room where Eren was currently explaining the objective of the game they were about to play. 

“Okay, so you choose a guy and I choose a guy, and then we'll be in a kitchen, and customers place orders, and then we have to follow a recipe and get the order out to the customer before they get mad and we fail the order. And lots of orders will come in and we only have a certain amount of time to get them all out.”

Levi gave Eren a nonplussed look. “Sounds like being at work.”

Eren opened his mouth to respond but he was at a loss for words at the moment. He'd never really thought about that, but Levi was right. “But...the kitchen is usually separated in some way so that we're stuck on different sides and have to like pass things back and forth to each other, cuz we'll each have different things.”

Levi's expression didn't change. “Well that will just make it harder.”

“Yeah, that's the point.”

The look remained.

“It's fun!” Eren persuaded.

“If you say so.” Levi picked up the controller. 

They each selected their characters and were now in a kitchen awaiting the first order. 

“You know there really shouldn't be animals in the kitchen.” Levi said flatly.

Eren laughed. “Well then why did you pick the cat?”

“Why is that an option?” Levi countered.

“Don't worry, your guy doesn't affect the game, he's not going to like get fur in the food or anything, that doesn't happen.”

“Damn, and here I was hoping I'd get to piss off a few customers.”

The orders started coming in, they were just making soup, easy enough, and Eren tried to explain things to Levi as they went along. Not surprisingly they failed a few orders, but they actually ended up just barely getting two out of three stars on the level, which meant they could move on to the next, harder level. 

This time they were making hamburgers, which was quickly becoming overwhelming with all the different ingredients and the fact that Levi had all the ingredients on his side and Eren had all the cutting boards and the pans to cook the meat. 

“Okay okay, I need another meat, and...aw shit I still need a tomato, and lettuce!”

“Someone is demanding.” Levi's character rushed around trying to collect everything. 

“Come on hurry, we're going to lose the order.”

“This damn cat can't go any faster brat.”

“Yeah it can, push dash, there's a dash button on the top, yeah that one.”

Levi shot Eren a sideways glare. “Well that would've been nice to know ten minutes ago.”

Eren barely got the order plated and out just in time, and was trying to assemble the next in line. “Okay, I need to start another meat, and more lettuce.”

Levi's cat handed some things off to Eren's lady with glasses, who was running around trying to put everything together, got the hamburger finished, but wait, “Oh shit! I need cheese on this one, quick! Drop that lettuce and get me some cheese, now!”

The cat collected a wedge of cheese and passed it off. “Here is the cheese that you so rudely asked for, and I think it may interest you to know that a small fire has started over in your corner.”

“Oh my god! The meat!” Eren screamed. “Hurry! Give me the fire extinguisher!” 

“Why don't you just put it out?!”

“I can't! I need the fire extinguisher that you have! Come on! It's spreading!”

“Why the fuck does it have to be mine?! Where the fuck is it?!”

“It's up in the corner, but you're going to have to go out and around the counter!”

“Christ.” Levi's cat maneuvered through a god damn maze to get to the fire extinguisher.

“Hurry! Pick it up!” Eren was far too invested in the game. 

“I'm trying! I can't!”

“Oh my god! What are you doing? The whole kitchen is burning down! Push X!”

“I AM pushing X, it's not picking it up.”

“That's it, we're doomed, you killed us.” Eren leaned back against the couch in defeat as they failed the level.

“I killed us? You're the one who set the fucking kitchen on fire.”

“But I could have put it out if you had been pushing the right button and had given me the fire extinguisher!”

“I was pushing the right button and why did it have to be mine? Why couldn't you just use your own god damn fire extinguisher?”

“Because I didn't have one!”

“Are you kidding me?! Look at the screen brat, your side, bottom left, right fucking there. Why do you think I told you to put it out yourself?”

“Oh shit...I totally had one on my side. My bad.” 

Levi narrowed his eyes at the brunette. “You're lucky you made me delicious food earlier.”

Eren gave Levi a sheepish smile.

They restarted the level. This time they were doing very well, had a kind of system going, things were running smoothly. Until…

“Okay, now I need another bun.” Eren was in the zone, working his magic on those hamburgers, not going to burn the kitchen down this time! “Levi, that's onion. I need a bun.”

“Oh, really? Huh, they just look so much alike, guess I grabbed the wrong one.” His cat went back to the place to pick up a bun. “Wait, which button picks things up again? Y?”

“What? No X.” Eren was concentrating on not burning the meat he had cooking. 

“Oh right, X.” Levi's cat set the bun down on the counter, and Eren's lady quickly assembled a burger on it. 

“Oh no! I don't have a plate! Give me a plate!”

“Where are the plates?” Levi asked innocently.

“They're in the sink remember? You have to wash one first, come on hurry!”

“The sink, of course, how could I forget?” The cat slowly walked over to the sink. “How do I wash again?”

“Oh my god it's just X! You washed some earlier, how are you forgetting this?”

“X” A smirk was starting to spread across Levi's lips. He washed the plate, then sauntered toward the counter, but about halfway there the cat dropped the plate on the floor. “Oh no, I dropped it.”

“What?! How?! You can't just drop things! Why would you push X again right there?” Eren was getting antsy, watching the seconds tick by. “Come on, we can still make this order, then we'll get three stars for sure!”

The cat picked up the plate, was walking straight towards Eren's character, but one space before the counter they had to pass it over the cat dropped the plate again. 

“Oops. How clumsy of me. Looks like I dropped it again. My bad.”

“Aaaa! What are you doing?!” 

Eren turned an aghast expression to Levi, whose smirk had now turned into something of a sinister grin. Then realization began to dawn on the brunette.

“Oh my god, you're doing this on purpose! Give me your controller!”

“Like hell.”

Eren was in a panic now to make the order, he was reaching over to Levi, trying to grab the controller from him. “Come on! We can still make the order, give me the controller!”

“This controller?” Levi was sliding away from Eren, holding the controller far out of his reach.

“Leviii!!!” Eren was now clambering onto the raven-haired man in a struggle to take the controller from him, a struggle that somehow ended with Eren underneath Levi, the cord of the controller wrapped tightly around both wrists, which were now pinned above his head. How in the hell that had even happened, Eren would never understand. 

“You have your controller now. Thought you wanted to pick up a plate or something, go ahead.” Levi challenged.

“Uh...” Eren flicked his wide eyes to the screen then back up to Levi's smug expression. “I think we've moved past the plate now. The kitchen is burning down again.”

Levi brought his face close to Eren's, whispered “What a shame.”, and then pressed his lips to Eren's in an aggressive kiss.

After a moment Eren muttered, “You're going to ruin my controller.” against Levi's kisses. 

To which Levi muttered back, “I'll buy you a new one.”

“Nah, that's okay. I think that's the shitty controller anyway. That's probably why you couldn't pick up the fire extinguisher.” Eren simply stated, then moved in to bring their lips together again, but Levi was pulling away, looking down at Eren with dangerous eyes.

“You gave me the shitty controller?”

“Uh...maaaaybe?” Eren was trying to look cute and innocent, like a baby deer, Levi wouldn't hurt a baby deer would he?

“You. Can eat a dick.” Levi glared.

A cheeky grin spread across Eren's face and he responded, “Only if it's yours.”

Levi smirked back. “I wouldn't allow anything else.”

They were kissing again, more heated now, Levi pressing his hips into Eren's, a hand sliding possessively behind the brunette's neck. Their hearts were pounding hard in their chests, breathing becoming strained. They separated a moment for some air.

“This position seems familiar.” Eren commented with a smile.

“Only we're on your couch, not the beach.”

“And that wasn't real...”

“It can be if you want it to.”

Eren licked his lips hungrily, reliving their shared phone fantasy in his mind in the flash of a second, desire spreading like a wave of heat throughout his body. Their lips were about to touch again when the door to the apartment opened. They turned to look, not really worried about it, expecting to see Armin blushing at his intrusion. But it was not Armin. The person who had walked through the door was a young woman with dark hair; a red scarf around her neck, a bulky cast on one leg, and a look of confused anger on her face.

“Who the hell are you and what are you doing to Eren!?”


	20. Weakness

“Mikasa!?” Eren's eyes were wide as he tried to sit up and remove himself from underneath Levi, but the cord of the controller was still snug around his wrists. “Levi...” He looked to the man for help.

“Right.” Levi muttered, unwrapping the cord and pushing himself up off of Eren so they were now standing. 

The look of anger on Mikasa's face only intensified as she soaked in the image that was playing out in front of her. “Get away from him! Who are you?!”

Levi let out a small sigh. This interaction hadn't started out well at all. This was certainly not the way in which Levi had wanted to meet Eren's family. “You must be the sister. I'm Levi, Eren's boyfriend.” Levi extended a hand. He wasn't one for handshakes, but he figured in light of the situation he'd try to be polite. 

Mikasa just scowled at Levi's hand like it disgusted her and limped a little closer to him, eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Boyfriend? Eren doesn't have a boyfriend. He's not even gay!”

“Mikasa, please.” Eren was currently at a loss for words in this situation. She was just singling Levi out like prey, as if Eren wasn't even standing right next to the man.

Levi gave Eren a quick sideways glance and nonchalantly responded, “I would argue that his affinity for dick says otherwise.”

“What did you just say?!” Mikasa was aghast at the audacity of whoever the hell this foul-mouthed creep was. This creep who had just been on top of Eren, while his hands had been tied!

“I said the brat likes dick.” Levi reiterated with a shrug.

“Levi!” Eren exclaimed in exasperation. He knew the man wasn't known for his subtlety, but did he have to say that to his sister?

Brat?! Something snapped inside Mikasa at this stranger so casually referring to Eren as 'the brat' and she momentarily forgot that she was wearing a very encumbering cast. She swung a fist right at the short man's jaw.

Levi, of course, had no problem dodging the punch, and he caught Mikasa by the wrist to keep her from toppling onto the floor face-first, the cast preventing her from holding her balance.

“Mikasa! What the hell?” Eren's exasperation was now directed at her. How had this situation progressed so quickly to this point?

“Sorry,” Levi said, making sure she was steady on her feet. “but I don't fight crippled people, and I'd really rather not fight my boyfriend's sister.”

“Don't touch me!” Mikasa ripped her arm out of Levi's grasp. “And I'm not crippled! Who is this asshole Eren!? What is going on?!”

“Mikasa will you please calm down!” Eren was desperate to try to keep the situation from getting anymore heated. “His name is Levi, not asshole, and we're together. I should have said something earlier, but-”

“But you're not gay Eren, not that anything's wrong with being gay, but you aren't!” Mikasa turned an accusing eye back on Levi and growled, “What have you done to him you creep?”

Creep? Levi raised an eyebrow. “Nothing that he didn't want. In fact, he's the one who made the first move, not me.”

Mikasa scrunched her face in confusion and looked back at Eren. “What?”

“It's true, I kissed him first.” Eren admitted.

“Why would you…? You don't even know him Eren!” Mikasa was really struggling to understand the alternate universe that she had just stumbled into.

“Yes, I do know him!” Eren emphasized the word 'do'. “We were working together for six months before anything happened! Why are you freaking out?!”

“Because you've been acting weird for a while now, avoiding me, and then I come over here and this creep has you tied up on the couch!! Has he been brainwashing you or something?! None of this makes any sense!” 

Eren was about to respond but Levi leaned in close to his ear and whispered, “I think she wants to talk to you alone, and family shit isn't exactly my strong point. Call me later okay?”

With that Levi gave Eren a chaste kiss on the lips and walked towards the door.

“Levi… you don't have to go...” Eren's face held a look of disappointed frustration. Disappointed at the fact that their time together was being cut short and frustrated with Mikasa for being so irrational.

Levi shot Eren a sympathetic look that said 'good luck' and then shut the door behind him. He sighed and leaned against the wall next to the door, listening for their next words, absentmindedly biting at his piercing. He wasn't eaves-dropping, he just wanted to make sure things didn't get violent. He didn't know Eren's sister, didn't know what their family was like, but Mikasa had thrown a punch at him. The family arguments that Levi had experienced growing up had never ended well. He didn't want to leave until he knew Eren was safe. 

“What did he say to you!?”

“None of your fucking business!”

“Did you just swear at me?!”

“Yeah I just fucking swore at you! You just come barging in here, unannounced, acting like a crazy person!”

“Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize that I needed an invitation to see you now! And I'm not acting like a crazy person!”

“Yes you are!” There was a pause and then Levi heard Eren let out a sigh. “I really like him Mikasa, and you just came in here and started calling him an asshole and a creep…I mean jeez Mika, you tried to punch him.”

“He deserved it! He called you a brat Eren!”

“He calls me that all the time, it's not a big deal.” (Probably not the best thing to say kid.)

“What?! Why are you smiling like that? What's funny about that?” The anger in her voice was subsiding a little, being replaced by confusion. “What's going on with you? You've been acting really weird since my accident.”

“I'll explain everything okay, but will you please sit down?” Eren was done arguing, his voice had taken on a softer tone. “Where are your crutches? You shouldn't even be walking around like this...”

“They're annoying, I left them in the car.”

Levi heard Eren laugh “Mikasa...” in a disapproving tone, and that was all he needed to turn away and leave them to talk it out. 

 

_How could I have missed it all this time? The door was right there in-between the two screens I checked. Right in front of my face, staring back at me. It was obviously old, some parts rusting away, and there, where the handle should be was nothing, just a gaping hole into blackness._

_The thing filled me with an immediate irrational fear. The kind of fear that jumps up inside your guts out of nowhere, tries to climb out of your throat, but you swallow it down, because if the fear clambered up your tongue and out of your mouth it'd surly take your sanity with it. The deafening sounds of the room seemed to stop around the door, they were there in the background humming away, but when I stared back at that door I could feel a silent pulse beating out of it. And the hole into nothing, that hole gave me the feeling that if I looked at it too long I might do something stupid, might try to open the door, that being the one thing I knew I should not do._

Levi's phone rang loudly, startling him.

“Shit!” He almost dropped the book he was holding. 

It had been more than a few hours since he'd left Eren's place. The sun was now getting ready to hand off to the moon, making it's slow burning decent behind the horizon, casting long shadows throughout Levi's living room. He'd kept himself busy in the meantime, cleaning some things that didn't need cleaning, exercising, working on some new song lyrics, until he finally ended up on the couch reading through a collection of short scary stories when Eren called. 

“Hey.”

“Hey.” Eren's voice sounded a little tired. “What are you doing?”

“Reading. You okay?”

Eren sighed. “Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Can I come over?”

“Sure. You want me to come pick you up?”

“Nah, that's okay.” His tone had a little more energy to it. “A walk sounds kind of nice right now.”

“Okay. Text me when you're here so I can let you in the building.”

“K.”

“See you soon.”

“Yeah.”

Levi was relieved to hear from Eren, glad he was coming over. As the hours had ticked by since their strange encounter earlier a knot of anxiety had been growing in the pit of his stomach. Was Eren okay? Should he have stayed? Did Eren's sister have the power to convince Eren not to be with him? Why hadn't he called yet? Had she taken his phone? Too many questions, the answers to which he'd just have to wait for, which was why he'd ended up reading. Reading had the ability to pick him up, transport him to another reality for a minute, a place where the questions and problems were someone else's, not his. 

He looked around his apartment, wondering if there was anything he should take care of before Eren arrived, but the place was pristine. With nothing for him to do, he turned his attention back to his book and waited for the text signifying Eren's arrival, but it never came. Instead, a knock jolted him from his story and he knit his brow in confusion as he made his way to the door. He opened it to find Eren standing there with a small smile. 

“Hey. The dog lady let me in,” He motioned down the hall. “remembered seeing me with you.”

“Ah.” Levi stepped back so Eren could come inside. “What's that?”

Eren looked down at what he was holding and back up to Levi with a slight blush. “Uh, I baked you some cookies.”

“Cookies?” Levi perked an eyebrow in interest.

“Yeeaah...you know, was hoping maybe they'd help you forget about the fact that my sister tried to punch you in the face earlier.” Eren gave him a hopeful smile. 

“What kind of cookies?” Levi asked, then quickly added, “And don't you dare tell me they're oatmeal raisin, because if they are, I swear to god I will push you back out into the hallway and lock the door.”

“Uhh...” Eren laughed nervously and swallowed. “They're oatmeal...” He cringed as Levi put a hand on his chest and reached for the doorknob. “chocolate chip.”

The hand reaching for the door dropped, and the one on Eren's chest grasped his shirt and pulled him down onto Levi's lips for a quick kiss before Levi snatched the plate from Eren's hand and started pealing the wrap off the top.

“I knew I liked you for a reason.” Levi mumbled over a bite of cookie. “Wait.” He lowered the cookie a little. “Who told you? Hanji?”

“Told me what?”

“That cookies are my weakness.” Levi's eyes were narrowed in suspicion.

Eren laughed. “Nobody. So oatmeal chocolate chip is okay?”

“Of course, it's the superior cookie, but everyone is always ruining it with raisins.” Levi took another bite, then muttered, “Fucking raisins...should be outlawed.”

Eren slipped his shoes off, smiling at Levi with a strange look in his eye, which Levi noticed after finishing off the last delicious morsel between his fingers. 

“What?” He licked a crumb from his lip ring.

“I just...” Eren's smile widened into a full-on grin.

“Spit it out brat.”

“Well, I just didn't know you wore glasses, that's all.”

The contented expression brought on by the cookies suddenly fell as Levi realized he still had his reading glasses on. He set the plate of cookies on the kitchen table and quickly removed the glasses, as if taking them off fast enough would erase the fact that Eren had seen him in them. 

“They're just for, uh...they're for reading.” Levi was avoiding eye contact, trying his damnedest to keep his cheeks from flushing pink. Nobody ever saw him in his reading glasses, fucking nobody. He set the glasses next to the cookie plate. 

If how handsome Levi had looked in those glasses wasn't enough, his behavior now after taking them off was enough to make Eren's heart explode. He couldn't help teasing a little bit. 

“You're embarrassed...”

“Shut up, I'm not.” He was still avoiding eye contact.

“Yeah you are.” Eren laughed. “They're cute, come on, put them back on. I want to see you in them again.” 

Eren took a step forward like he might pick up the glasses and try to put them on the raven-haired man.

“Don't you dare.” Levi gave Eren a dangerous glare. “I can still push you out into the hallway and lock the door.”

“Aw, don't be like that. They look good on you.” Eren moved a little closer to the glasses and Levi stepped in front of him.

“Try me.” His eyes were devilish slits. 

“If you push me out into the hall I'll take the cookies with me.” 

“You wouldn't.” Levi glanced back at the cookies like they were his first-born child.

“Try me.” Eren smirked.

Levi literally growled like feral animal at that and Eren just burst out laughing. “Fine, fine! Take your cookies, but I will see you in those glasses again, I'll find a way...”

Levi grabbed the glasses in one hand, another cookie in the other, and gave Eren a look before swiftly disappearing down the hall. He returned a moment later sans glasses and half a cookie. 

“So...you're not mad about earlier?” Eren asked tentatively.

“Hell no. Your sister can take a swing at me anytime she wants if I get a plate of cookies out of it.” Levi grabbed himself a glass of water, made a motion to Eren that asked if he wanted anything. Eren shook his head. They moved to the couch as Levi continued. “Now 'asshole' I'm used to, but I'm not really a big fan of 'creep', so I may require two plates for any future usage of the word.”

Eren chuckled.

“I think the real question is...” Levi's tone changed to become a little more serious. “How are you?”

Eren's smile fell and he let out a long sigh. He wished that he could just forget about earlier and stay in this happy land where Levi wore glasses and devoured cookies like there was no tomorrow. 

“I'm...okay.”

Levi was quiet, just waited for Eren to go on, let him take his time.

“Mikasa doesn't really get it. She's not homophobic or anything, she never has been, but with me...it's like I'm not allowed to be gay or something. Like it's okay for everyone else, but not me. She didn't say that.” He added quickly, didn't want to give Levi the wrong impression. “But I can tell that's how she feels. Luckily Armin came home while we were talking. Once he got there she seemed more convinced that I hadn't just lost my mind. And Armin likes you even though he barely met you, so he was good at convincing her that you're not just some random weirdo that I'm hooking up with. I think that she still kind of thinks that you like brainwashed me or something.” Eren gave a humorless laugh. 

He was quiet for a moment, reviewing the earlier conversation in his mind. Then he went on.

“She is mad at me though, and Armin, for hiding it from her. And I can't say I blame her for that, we share everything with each other. I was just...worried about how she'd react, so I didn't want to tell her.”

“She'll get over it.” Levi reassured.

Eren hadn't been looking at Levi the whole time he'd been talking, he'd been staring at his hands, but he looked up to Levi now and there was a deep sense of worry in his eyes. “She wants me to tell my dad.”

Levi met Eren's apprehensive gaze with a level of understanding that the brunette could only begin to fathom. “That's not her decision to make.”

“What happened?” Eren's eyes were still filled with concern. “When your dad found out?”

Levi's expression faltered a little and a wave a sadness washed over his steely irises, he opened his mouth a little like he was searching for words that weren't there.

The stupidity of his question suddenly dawned on Eren and his face turned apologetic. “Shit.” He berated himself. “I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked that. I'm an idiot.”

“No, you're not an idiot.” He took a deep breath staring at nothing. “If I told you that story it would just ruin the whole night.” He looked back to Eren again. “Maybe another time.”

“Okay.” Eren nodded. Though he didn't know the details, remembering how horrifically Levi's parents had died when he was young, and thinking about the terrible scars on his back, Eren's problems suddenly felt very trivial. Mikasa was still there for him, and Levi was right, she would get over it. Eren's dad could take it well or not, but either way he knew that his dad would still love him. 

Eren smiled at the raven-haired man and said, “We don't have to be so serious anymore. I'll be fine. Thanks for asking, and listening.” Then he gave Levi a quick kiss on the cheek. 

Once again Eren's resilience surprised Levi, as well as the kiss, he wasn't used to getting pecked on the cheek. “You're welcome.” he replied softly. 

They observed each other silently for a few seconds, glancing at each other's lips, until Eren slid in close and pressed his mouth to Levi's. It was soft at first, almost timid, the heaviness of their conversation still hanging around them. Soon Eren was licking at Levi's lips however, and he parted them in response, deepening the kiss. 

With his lips against Levi's everything just felt right to Eren, like nothing outside of them mattered. He tasted sweet like chocolate and Eren couldn't get enough, was pressing in tight and close. He needed more so he moved onto the man's lap, one leg on either side, his hands snaking through Levi's hair.

Levi welcomed him gladly, strong hands gliding over the soft fabric of Eren's shirt down to his hips, pulling him in snug. Eren let out a small noise as Levi pulled him in, a sound almost like a whimper and he rolled his hips into Levi's to further the contact, causing Levi to gasp slightly. In their current position Eren held Levi's head, which was tilted back and up to meet the brunette above him, accentuating the sharpness of his jaw and the elegance of his slender neck, both of which Eren was soon covering in kisses. 

Levi rested his shoulders against the couch, his head back, giving Eren all the room he needed to kiss at his neck. The feeling of the brunette's mouth on his skin was so sensual, sent shivers down his spine and quickened his pulse. Five days was too long, he never wanted to spend that much time away from Eren again. He needed this. His lips, his touch, the weight of his body pressed against him, somehow he had become addicted to it all. 

“Fuck I've missed you.” Levi breathed out, his voice low with desire. 

“I've missed you too.” Eren spoke in-between his kisses, his warm breath tickling Levi's neck. “So much.”

Eren licked and sucked at Levi's smooth skin, revelling in the way he tasted, surly leaving small bruises of love behind. He would gladly starve just to keep his lips on Levi forever, to savor him. He needed those perfect lips again and moved back up over Levi's jaw to capture his mouth, tongue licking to indulge in his sweetness. Eren rolled his hips into Levi's again, eliciting a long low moan from the man, the vibration of which Eren felt in his fingertips as they trailed down Levi's throat. Eren could feel Levi growing hard beneath him and with the man substantially frenzied he thought he might have a shot. 

Eren broke the kiss and looked down into Levi's eyes, pupils wide with lust. “So about those glasses...” He said in what he hoped was a seductive voice, a small smile playing on his lips.

Levi narrowed his eyes. “Nice try kid...” He simultaneously tugged Eren's head back by his hair to give a small bite to his neck while bucking his hips up into the brunette. Eren couldn't help the gasp that escaped him at the mixture of the slight pain and pleasure, his eyes fluttering shut. “...but it's not gonna happen.”

“Pleeeaase.” Eren moaned, his head still back, hair still clutched in Levi's grasp.

“No.” Levi whispered against Eren's neck and ground up into him again.

Eren whined. Levi released the handful of hair and Eren tilted his head back down to look at him hungrily before pressing in for a lewd kiss, open and wet, like they were trying to devour each other. 

“I'll do whatever you want.” Eren panted against Levi's mouth.

Levi pulled back a little, one eyebrow raised. “Whatever I want?” The word 'whatever' being emphasized. 

Eren nodded eagerly, his chest heaving. 

“Okay. I'll put the glasses on, if...” A smirk curved on Levi's lips. “You give me a lapdance.” There was no way the brat would do that, he'd be far too embarrassed.

Eren's eyes went wide, and his cheeks flushed a little pink. “Promise?”

“Sure. Promise.” Levi shrugged. Why not, it was a promise he wouldn't have to keep. 

Eren was considering the offer, he wanted details. He knew Levi would make good on a promise, but he wouldn't put it past the man to wear the glasses for only a few seconds before taking them off. “When? And how long will you wear the glasses for?”

Levi thought it was cute that Eren was actually considering it, couldn't help but play up the offer a little just to watch him squirm even more as he inevitably turned it down. He leaned in close and whispered against Eren's lips, his words intentionally filthy, “Tonight, right here like this,” Levi teased with an almost kiss that left Eren wanting. “..while you ride my cock until you come.”

Eren let out a shaky breath and swallowed hard, but the word he said next was clear and solid. “Deal.”

“What?” Levi backed away and blinked up at Eren, who was looking down at him with a smile that was a little too confident. 

“I said 'deal'. I'll do it. I already have a song in mind too.” Eren was smirking like he'd just won another game of checkers against the man. 

Levi was wearing a look of astonishment, he was near speechless.

“You promised. No backing out now.”

“I didn't think you would...” How the fuck was he supposed to know that the kid would be brazen enough to do it. “Shit.”

“It just so happens that there are a few things that you don't know about me.” Eren was wearing a shit eating grin now. “One of which, is that I used to be part of a dance group, and I'm actually pretty good at it.” Eren rolled his hips into Levi, slid his lips over the other man's in one drawn out motion, ending with a taught suck to his lip ring.

“Is that so?” Levi took a shaky breath. Maybe this was turning out in his favor after-all. He'd be getting a lapdance from Eren, afterward which he'd get to be deep inside him, and all he had to do was wear his stupid glasses. Those shitty, hideous glasses that no one was ever supposed to see him in... He would think about that later, after the lapdance. 

 

It was dark outside now, city lights twinkling below, and the aura of the living room was dim and lusty, just the way Levi always liked it. He'd moved to a chair that was now sitting out in the open, plenty of space for Eren to maneuver. Eren had quickly found the song he wanted on his phone and connected it to Levi's stereo. He paused before starting it and said with suspicious eyes, “You will wear the glasses right?”

Levi sighed and rolled his eyes, hating himself for somehow falling into a trap he didn't realize Eren had set. “Yes brat, I'll wear the glasses.”

“Good.” Eren smirked and then started the music. 

As the song started in with a sexual female whisper and then transitioned into a carnal beat with sultry vocals Levi's heart began to pound nervously, he struggled to keep his breathing even. Why the fuck was he nervous? He wasn't the one dancing. He tried to keep his gaze from looking too eager as Eren began to move. Eren hadn't been exaggerating when he said he was good at dancing. It came so naturally to him, his lithe form matching the beat effortlessly, movements fluid like liquid sex. He wasn't smiling anymore except for the smallest quirk at the corners of his mouth. He was staring Levi down with those piercing green eyes as he made his way toward the man, hands slowly pushing his shirt up to reveal tan skin and lean stomach muscles. The display was downright sinful, and Levi was left vaguely wondering when the nervous kid in front of him had been replaced by a full blown vixen. He suddenly didn't give a flying fuck about the glasses. 

Eren was in front of Levi now, legs almost on either side of him, pealing his shirt up and over his head to the music until his chest was enticingly exposed and right in front of Levi's face. Levi lifted his hand absentmindedly to touch at the smooth skin in front of him, but without even breaking his movements Eren slapped his hand away and sneered, “No touching.” The look on the older man's face was absolutely priceless and Eren wished he had a camera to take a picture as he deftly moved around the chair behind Levi and ran his hands over the man's shoulders and down his chest.

Levi was stunned speechless. Did Eren just slap his hand away?! Part of him wanted to be mad, but truly he was just impressed at how good Eren was at this, he'd oblige the kid and keep his hands to himself for the remainder of the dance. Where had this sass come from? Eren was back in front of him, straddling him for real this time, weight in his lap, hips gyrating. Eren's hands began to slide down Levi's stomach until they reached the bottom of his shirt, and then in one fluid motion the shirt was pulled up and over his head, tossed to the side. Levi was breathing heavy now, naked chest heaving in the low light, eyes glazed with desire as they followed Eren, arousal growing in the constraints of his tight jeans. 

Eren removed himself from Levi's lap and slowly began to unbutton his pants as the music continued with the words “I can give you what you need.” With the zipper down he drew out his motions, teasing the fabric lower, watching as Levi swallowed hard and licked his lips. Then he slid the pants off entirely, stepped in close to Levi and turned his ass toward the man, revealing the black thong that had been underneath.

Dear god. Levi's mouth opened in awe and he breathed out the word, “You..”

Eren turned to look over his shoulder, smiled and nodded. One of the things Eren prided himself on was remembering what people said they liked. After their steamy phone call the other day when Levi had mentioned that he'd been wearing a black thong in his dream, Eren had gone out looking for one, not without a healthy dose of embarrassment. But it was worth it now, seeing the look on Levi's face, the need glistening in his eyes. 

Levi gripped the sides of the chair hard and bit at his lip as Eren turned back around to straddle him again, the brunette's hips grinding in sensually, causing him to let out a gasp that sounded almost helpless. He couldn't believe that Eren had acquired a black thong to fulfill his fantasy. The kid was something else. Eren was looking down at him with heavy lids, hands lacing through his raven locks as the song faded to end. 

They were both breathing hard, Eren from the exertion of the dance, Levi from the overwhelming prurience he was experiencing. He'd never wanted anyone so bad in his life. He was blinking up into Eren's bright eyes, and with the dance over he moved his hands from the chair to slide them eagerly over Eren's thighs and hips, to his ass where they gripped roughly, pulling Eren in tight. He lifted his chin to catch Eren's lips, but Eren backed away slightly with a smirk.

“Where are the glasses?”

Levi moaned out a low carnal noise of frustration, then spoke in a husky voice. “Bedroom. Top drawer of the nightstand. Grab the lube while you're at it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the last half of this chapter kind of just wrote itself. The cookies, the glasses, the lapdance...all just kind of spilled out of nowhere onto the keyboard. Hopefully you don't hate it. 
> 
> If you care, the song I imagine Eren dancing to is this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGsCzkRFi0g  
> If that address doesn't work, just search for "Art of Persuasion (Esta Remix)" on youtube. Should be the first video that comes up. 
> 
> Aaaaand, sorry for leaving you hanging like that. ;)


	21. Those Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this chapter took me for-fucking-ever to write for some reason, and I'm still not entirely satisfied with it. But, here it is, sorry for the wait. Hopefully there aren't too many mistakes, only gave it one quick proofreading.

Levi emerged from the bathroom with a towel in hand just as Eren emerged from the bedroom and they collided in the hallway. Eren wasted no time in carefully placing the glasses on Levi's face, and then they both trailed their eyes over each other. Levi admiring how the black thong could barely contain Eren's ardor. Eren worshiping Levi's beautiful face, until his gaze halted on the man's mouth. They leaned into to each other, and the urgency that usually saturated their lust turned to something slow and thick as their lips met. 

Levi's free hand snaked around Eren's naked waist to rest on the small of his back, guiding him as they stepped their way back into the living room. They reached the couch, the towel and lube were dropped to the side, they needed both hands to finish undressing while their tongues teased at each other. Eren took his time undoing Levi's pants, first the belt, then the button and the zipper, and before he slid them down he slipped a hand inside to palm over the fabric restraining Levi's length. The stimulation drew a contained gasp from Levi, breaking their kiss.

The sound was like a catalyst for Eren. He removed the rest of Levi's clothes quickly, and as soon as they were kicked to the side, Levi's fingers snuck under the band of the black thong and slid it off. It too was then kicked to the side. After one swift push from Levi the coffee table was moved away from the couch giving them more space. Levi stepped back, lowered himself onto the couch and beckoned Eren with a finger. 

Eren couldn't help but think that Levi looked like a king on a throne, a very sophisticated yet rebellious king with sexy glasses and a lip piercing. He stepped to the man, dropped to his knees and then ran his tongue from the base of Levi's cock to the head in one long lick of devotion before sliding his lips over the tip and taking him entirely inside. 

Levi's breath hitched before he let out a long “mmmmm”, his eyelids fluttering like the flame of a candle caught in a breeze. Eren kept his eyes on Levi's countenance, he wasn't going to miss any part of his reward, as he moved his mouth, tongue, and hands in sordid ways. 

It was too good, he could rest back, hands in those brown locks, and let Eren suck him off with that beautiful mouth all night. Every time he managed to lift his eyelids enough to look he caught Eren's lusty gaze looking up at him, and the sight was so rich he could only meet his eyes for a few seconds at a time. So good, but not what he promised, so before he got too close he looked down at Eren and purred, “Come up here.”

Eren stood and received a few long and luscious sucks to his own length before he climbed onto Levi's lap, a knee on either side of him. He was unsure of how to proceed at this point so he followed Levi's motions, which were to bring him in low and close enough that their cocks were pressed warmly together as well as their lips, rough hands firmly on his ass. 

One hand released it's grip on Eren and felt across the couch for the lube as their mouths were not going to separate, the taste being too hot and sweet to stop. Soon the small bottle was clutched and their kiss had to end so Levi could open it and squeeze some of the liquid onto his hand. He snapped it closed, set it to the side, and then reached between them to grip their lengths together, coating them with the slippery substance. He stroked the both of them for a minute, looking over Eren's features and then leaned forward trailed his lips across Eren's neck. 

The sensation of Levi's hand sliding up and down and those lips sucking at his neck had Eren tilting his head back in breathlessness. He was so lost in the feeling of their closeness that it took him a moment to notice when Levi stopped and poured some more lube across his fingertips. Those piercing gray eyes looked at him asking the silent question of whether Eren was ready and the brunette gave a quick nod, encouraging Levi's touch.

Levi kept his eyes on Eren, his head tilted upward from the position and difference in their heights, as he reached his arm around and slid one skilled finger inside of him. Eren gasped and adjusted his position, sliding his knees a little further out. When Eren seemed ready, he slipped a second finger inside, all the while spreading kisses and small bites across his neck. Levi moved his fingers gently causing small whimpers to break from Eren's lips until he looked down and panted, “I'm ready.”

Eren leaned in to capture Levi's mouth in one more deep kiss before pushing up on his knees to position himself just right. He lowered himself slowly, taking Levi's length at his own pace, trying to remember how to breath, and trying to keep his eyes open so he could watch the pleasure manifest across Levi's features. 

Levi was also trying to remember how to breath as Eren's tight heat engulfed him, and then he was deep inside Eren as they adjusted their positions to the most comfortable angles.

“Nnnn, fuck you're so warm.” He wrapped one hand around Eren's hard-on and began to work him, the other hand slid over tan skin, claiming his thigh, his hip, his waist. 

The air was heavy with their pleasure causing their movements to be hot and slow, time halting, highlighting glances and small moans. Eren had his hands on Levi's toned shoulders for balance and leverage, riding the man's cock, taking in the sight of his slightly parted lips, flushed skin, and ardent eyes behind lenses. He loved watching Levi unravel beneath him and ran one hand from his shoulder over his neck and through his raven locks raking his nails gently. 

A shiver descended Levi's spine and he arched his back slightly at the touch, hand reflexively squeezing as it continued to work Eren's length, causing the brunette to inhale sharply with pleasure. Eren began to move more aggressively and he must have altered his position slightly at some point because Levi's length brushed past that sweet spot inside him sending a ripple of euphoria throughout his body, which combined with the touch of Levi's slender fingers had him throwing his head back with a feverish moan. 

Levi took pleasure in the reaction and chuckled darkly, his lips curving slightly. The sound brought Eren back to reality and he met the older man's eyes with a smile broken by panting breaths, strands of hair falling over his brow. He loved Levi's dark laughs, and the way he looked so debauched right then, black locks a mess, a light sheen of sweat starting to glisten across his bare chest. 

“God you're so sexy.” Eren could barely get the words out of the haze currently clouding his intellect, but he was glad that he did when he saw Levi glance away, his cheeks flushed a little more than before. He would never understand how Levi could be so diffident when confronted with a compliment. Didn't he understand his own perfection? Hadn't anyone ever told him just how precious he was? And if not, it was a damn atrocity, a crime that Eren would make up for.

Whatever playlist Eren had selected on his phone before continued on in the background with similarly low and lust-filled songs, a subconscious backdrop for the rhythm the two of them fell into, barely being heard over their pounding hearts and gasps of pleasure. They were high on each other's touch, wanting more and feeling too much all at once, a pulsing sculpture of ecstasy. 

Eren was close, but he wanted Levi to come first, so he did his best to hold back and picked up his pace, the movement of Levi's hand matching it, making it even harder for him to reign in the mounting pressure that threatened to claim it's release. 

Any composure that Levi may have been maintaining melted away as the friction between them intensified. His head fell back against the couch, eyes fluttering shut, teeth biting at his lip. He could barely focus, but kept just enough clarity to continue pleasuring Eren as he came closer and closer to the edge. He forced his eyes open and the sight of Eren looking back at him, skin glowing, green eyes burning with ardor, it was all he could take. 

“F-fuck… Eren.” The intensity of his orgasm hit him like a tidal wave and one hand clutched at Eren's hip hard, nails digging into his skin as his body trembled, brow creasing in rapture, his other hand shook slightly, trying hard not to grasp Eren's erection too violently. 

The display was beauty incarnate to Eren, and even though he'd watched Levi come before, somehow this seemed different, like something no one else had seen, a piece of priceless art that was only being revealed now, and only to him. Maybe it was the glasses, but it was probably something else, and though the thought didn't form itself into words in his mind or aloud, Eren knew then that he no longer held possession of his own heart. 

Levi continued to stroke Eren through the cloud of bliss he was lost it, knew that he was close, that he'd been holding back. He angled his hips up into Eren and got confirmation that he'd hit the right spot as Eren gasped and leaned into him, fingers clutching tightly to his shoulders. Warm liquid spilled down over his hand and he felt Eren clench around him as he reached his peak, a soft cry of pleasure breaking from the brunette's throat. 

Their skin was hot and flushed, chests rising and falling as they tried to regain a normal breathing pattern. Levi lightly trailed his clean hand over Eren's back following the line of his spine, just reveling in their combined euphoria. Eren's hands were doing something similar, gently combing through Levi's hair over his neck and shoulders, feeling the warmth emanating from him and the quickness of his pulse. 

Then Levi's hand came up to Eren's face to pull him down into a lazy kiss. When they separated their eyes met and as soon as he noticed that weird smile Eren was giving him he remembered he was wearing his glasses. He narrowed his eyes and took the frames from his face, set them to the side.

Damn. Eren was hoping that Levi wouldn't be so adverse to wearing the glasses now, but he clearly still didn't like being seen in them. 

“You know you can be a real sassy brat when you want something.”

He gave Levi a crooked smile. “I like to think it's one of my better traits.”

Levi's response was a swift slap to Eren's ass which caught him off guard, replacing his cocky smile with a look of surprise. “Come on brat, let's get cleaned up.”

The shower was refreshing and comfortably quiet as they washed themselves. When they were done and dried off they redressed in their underwear and pants, but didn't quite make it to shirts before Eren was touching Levi again, soft kisses and gentle caresses. There was no sexual urgency there, just a desire for closeness, something Levi wasn't used to, a type of intimacy he'd only began to encounter with Eren. This type of touching didn't come naturally for him so he let Eren lead and they ended up on his bed, Levi on his back, hands behind his head, Eren on his side, propped up on one elbow, drawing abstract pictures on Levi's chest with his fingertips, skin glowing from the red of the lamp in the corner.

They lay there in silence for a moment, before Levi spoke, voice low and languorous from the playful touches on his skin. Touches that made his skin prickle and his nipples hard. 

“So when you said 'dance group' earlier what you were really trying to say was 'male strip club' right?” He gave Eren a sideways glance. 

“No.” Eren laughed. “It was a dance group in high school.”

“And they taught you how to give lap dances?” Levi quirked an eyebrow. “What the hell kind of high school did you go to?”

Eren laughed again. “No, they didn't teach us that, it was mostly ballroom type stuff. There was a joke that evolved somehow though...I can't really remember how it started, but during our down time we'd give each other lap dances to see who broke first. You weren't allowed to laugh or even smile and whoever did lost. Of course we weren't like getting naked or anything, most of the time someone would start laughing before they were even close enough to touch.”

“Let me guess, you always won?”

“Yeah, just about.” He admitted with a smile. “I'm pretty competitive.” 

“I've noticed.” He paused for a moment. “How did you know that's what I'd ask for?”

“I didn't.” Eren shook his head. “Got lucky I guess.”

“Hm.”

“I would've done it anyway though, even if I'd never danced or anything...”

“Really?” Levi didn't quite believe him at first, but when he looked over at Eren's smile and nod he could tell that he really would have.

It was quiet for a moment again, just the sound of their breathing, and then Levi spoke again.

“So, high school dance group huh?”

“Yep.”

Levi's countenance suddenly became very serious and he leaned up on his elbows to get a better look at the brunette. “Eren, I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but...”

Eren's face changed to match the seriousness in Levi's voice.

“...that's pretty gay.” He couldn't stop the twitch of his lips as he held back a smile.

Eren's expression changed to a glare and a wry smile. “Shut up.” He chuckled as he playfully pushed Levi. 

The smirk he'd been holding back spread across his lips as Levi allowed himself to be pushed back down onto his back.

“It was actually my mom's idea, she thought it'd be less dangerous. I played soccer for a really long time and sophomore year this jackass fouled me really bad and I ended up breaking my wrist. Fucking Brandon Kyle...”

“Two first names?”

“Ha, yeah, total douche. Anyway, after that my mom started to get really worried about me playing, and by then we'd found out that she had cancer, so...” His voice took on a softer tone. “I quit the team. Just didn't want to stress her out you know?”

Levi nodded in understanding.

“I didn't really want to join the dance group, but she kept suggesting it saying, 'The ladies love a man who can dance.'” He snorted at the irony. “So I finally just gave in, and it actually turned out to be pretty fun.” He shrugged and continued running his fingers over Levi's pale skin, fingertips playing over his ribs and around his naval, tickling the tiny hairs there.

Levi just hummed in response, eyes on the ceiling, wondering what it would have been like to have a family like Eren's. Wondering what kind of person he'd be if things had been different.

“What about you? Were you ever in any clubs or play any sports or anything?”

“No.” Levi shook his head slowly. “I was the fuck-up who skipped class to go smoke under the bleachers. Besides, I changed schools so often that there wouldn't have been any point in joining anything.”

Eren wasn't sure if he should, but he asked anyway, entirely prepared to hear that it was none of his business. “How come you changed schools so often?”

Their eyes met, and then Levi looked back up at the ceiling as he answered. He didn't like talking about himself or his experiences, but he wasn't selfish enough to let their conversations be entirely one-sided. 

“Foster care. I went into the system when I was nine, and...” He took a deep breath in through his nose, his chest rising under Eren's hand “....just kind of got passed from house to house until eventually they couldn't place me. Ended up in a group home for a little while before I aged out.” He left out the time in-between where he spent six months in a juvenile detention center.

“Aged out. What does that mean?”

Levi's eyes were still on the ceiling. “Uh, well it's when you get too old for foster care, usually eighteen, and they kind of just kick you out.” He finally turned his head toward Eren, expecting to see the typical look of pity that people usually gave him if they ever learned about his upbringing. But it wasn't there. Eren's eyes were soft, but all he could see in them was understanding and affection.

“That sucks.”

Eren didn't know how apt that simple statement was, or maybe he did. Either way it was so much better than hearing things like 'I'm so sorry you went through that.' or 'That must have been hard for you.'.

“Yeah, it definitely sucked.” He breathed out and when he inhaled again he felt a little lighter, a little less tense. Like he was buried under a thousand stones and Eren had just taken a handful off of him and thrown them far away into a time that didn't exist anymore. 

It was a relief...yet it terrified him. 

Terrified him that Eren could so easily have that effect on him, with just a couple words, his soft touch, and those eyes. And the terrified part made his heart beat nervously and hissed in his ear 'It'll all go up in flames eventually, stop now before you destroy what's left of yourself.' And the real Levi clenched his teeth and told it to 'Shut the fuck up.' as he pushed himself up, cupped Eren's jaw with his hand and pressed his lips to Eren's in firm defiance of the parts of him that demanded he stay angry and miserable forever. 

That kiss turned into another kiss, and another, lids hooded but not quite closed. A strand of hair fell over Levi's eye, caught on his lashes, and Eren smoothed it to the side. He licked his lips, could taste the residual sweetness of Levi's mouth and soon the only sounds in the room were quiet sucks and smacks, the rustling of the bedsheets as Levi turned further into Eren, laced their legs together, and eventually pressed down on top of him. 

Their mouths were parted slightly, only the very tips of their tongues dancing over each other, tickling top and bottom lips with little flicks. As they inhaled through their noses they breathed in the scent of soap and warm skin, fingers threading through hair that was still damp from their shower. And then with their lips sealed Levi took a deep breath in through his mouth, whether on purpose or not Eren couldn't tell, but it quite literally drew the air from his lungs leaving him breathless. It was one of the strangest sensations he'd ever experienced, thrilling in a way, and it had him vaguely wishing that he'd been conscious on the beach, experiencing what it was like to have Levi breath life into him. 

Their faces separated an inch or two, and Eren's chest rose as he refilled his lungs. When he saw the slight curve of Levi's lips, the playful glint in his eye, he could tell he'd taken his breath away on purpose. 

“That was...really weird.” Eren blinked up at him, then smiled. “Do it again.”

Levi chuckled, wet his bottom lip with a quick lick of his tongue, then leaned in again. But Eren's lips kept twitching into a smile he couldn't stop and Levi's lips ended up touching more teeth than anything else.

“I can't if you keep smiling like that.” He muttered against the brunette.

“Sorry.” Eren tried to force the smile away as Levi moved in close again, but it wasn't happening, just before their lips met he cracked and the smile broke out again.

Levi leaned back and gave Eren a condemning look.

“Sorry, sorry.” He said through his full on grin. He took a deep breath, wiped the smile away, and composed a serious expression. “Okay...I'm ready.”

Levi quirked an eyebrow, not convinced.

“For real.” Eren's composure remained. 

Their mouths came together again, no teeth this time, just soft skin. Eren kissed back, waiting for it, anticipating it, but nothing happened besides the tickle of Levi's tongue over his top lip, and then a taut suck to his bottom lip, and then that tongue licking into his mouth again, and it was all so good that he started to forget that he was expecting something and just got lost in the warmth of their kiss. A minute passed, maybe two, and when nothing was on his mind but the sweet taste of Levi's tongue and the way the lip ring pressed pleasantly against the side of his mouth it happened. All of the air was suddenly drawn from him and Levi pulled up with it, looking down.

Eren blinked his eyes open in surprise and they were hazy and unfocused, tingles skittering over his scalp and down his neck, and everything seemed a little too bright. Then a hand lightly smacked his cheek. 

“Whoa brat, don't pass out on me.”

Eren took a deep breath and focused his eyes on Levi's. “I won't, I'm good.” He just stared into those irises and the longer he looked the more he saw, he found them just as breathtaking as their kiss. 

“I never really noticed before, but your eyes are really pretty.” He whispered in awe. 

“Well fuck, I think I may have permanently damaged your brain.”

“No seriously. I mean, like I knew they were pretty, but wow...” Eren kept examining them. “they're all dark around the edges, but then towards the middle there are all these really tiny flecks of light...like...” He was looking from eye to eye, trying to figure out what they reminded him of, then he had it. “...like a galaxy.”

A tinge a pink swept over Levi's cheeks and he looked away, anywhere but Eren's gaze, and spoke flatly. “While I'd love to hear more of your shitty poetry reading, I'm actually starting to get really hungry.” Levi sat up on his knees, but remained on top of Eren, one leg on either side.

Dodging out of another compliment. If Levi thought ignoring Eren's compliments would make them eventually stop he was wrong.

“What are you going to eat?”

“Isn't it obvious? I have an entire plate of the superior cookie in my kitchen.” 

Eren laughed. “Yeah, but you can't just eat a whole plate of cookies for dinner.”

Levi leaned over Eren, placing a hand on either side of his head, brought his face close and snarled, “I'm an adult Eren, I can do whatever the fuck I want.”

“Okay.” Eren shook his head in resignation, thoroughly amused by the idea of Levi eating a whole plate of cookies, and maybe a little bit turned on by the assertiveness in his voice. 

Levi pressed his mouth to Eren's for a moment, then pulled back and said, “I'm kidding. I'm only going to eat one more, maybe two, but that's it. I actually need some real food. You hungry?”

Eren nodded, getting swept up into two gray galaxies again. 

“You want to get Chinese food again?”

“Yeah.”

“Good, cuz there's nothing in my fridge and they're the only place that's still open.”

 

They ordered something different this time, walked through the scent cloud of lilacs, hands together, enjoying the night air as it swirled over them, cooler than normal and bringing with it a phantom of petrichor. When the bell announced their arrival in the shop the little old lady smiled at them all the way to the counter, that twinkle in her eye, and when Levi was signing the receipt she turned to Eren and said, “I knew you be back. He nebah smile, but he smile wit you. I see in eye.” She brought one leathery finger up to touch the crows feet on her face, pointing to her eye. Just like last time Eren flushed red and Levi turned his face away, and just like last time her raspy cackle followed them out the door, along with the shout “Come again!”.

The food was as delicious as before, and this time they actually finished almost all of it, maybe it was because they left out the spring rolls. They didn't watch anything, just enjoyed each other's presence. Levi only ate one more cookie, not two, because he had at least some self-control. When they were done eating Eren asked what Levi had been reading before he'd come over. Levi told him, and then Eren asked if he'd read one of the scary stories to him. Levi denied him, twice. Then Eren gave him puppy eyes and they ended up on the couch, Eren melting to the sound of his voice and staring at him dreamily. About halfway through the story Levi moved to the armchair. 

“Why are you moving?” Eren pouted.

Levi gave him a pointed look. “Because I can't fucking focus with your hands all over me.”

Eren smiled sheepishly, he was guilty.

The story continued in Levi's satin tone and it was only with a few pages until the end that he realized what Eren had done. His words stopped abruptly, he whipped his eyes up to the brunette and spat, “You little shit.”

“What?” Eren tried to look like a baby deer again, innocent, so innocent.

“Don't play coy with me.” Levi's eyes narrowed and Eren's narrowed back along with a devilish grin.

“I can't believe I fucking fell for that.” Levi snatched the glasses off his face. 

“What!? You can't stop now! We're almost to the end, it was getting really good!”

“Fuck you.”

“Aw come on, don't you want to know what happens? What if he goes through the door?!”

What _if_ he goes through the door. He did want to know. “You fucking read it then.”

“But I suck at reading out loud, I always like stumble over the words and shit. I'll just ruin it.” His eyes were shining with a sincerity.

“God you are such a brat.” Levi clenched his jaw and growled. “Turn the fuck around.”

“What?”

“I'll finish the stupid fucking story, but as punishment you have to face the other way. Turn around.”

“Okay.” Eren tried to look a little bit apologetic, but as soon as he was facing away from the older man he smiled to himself in victory. What a softie.

By the time the story was over Levi had begrudgingly forgiven Eren, and actually gave him mental props for being so god damn smooth about getting him to wear the glasses again. He set the book on the coffee table, glasses placed on top, and said, “You can turn around now.”

“Thanks, for finishing it.”

Levi just looked him over, then responded with, “Do you want to stay?”

“Why? You scared now?” He said it before he could stop himself, and immediately knew it was a mistake. You've done it now Jaeger, you idiot. 

Levi stared blankly back at him for a second, a look much like the one Eren saw on him before he'd kicked that guy out of Rose Cafe. Then he stood up, grabbed Eren by the arm and practically dragged him to the door. He opened it with no expression and made to push Eren out into the hallway.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll stop.” Eren rushed, one hand on the door frame to keep him inside. “Promise.”

Levi's eyes were menacing slivers and Eren marveled at their ability to change from beautiful galaxies to frightening shards of ice so quickly. “Give me a reason to accept your apology.”

“Um…I...uh…” Eren was looking around the room for some sort of inspiration but nothing was coming to him.

“Time's up.” 

“I'll make you french toast in the morning!” He blurted out.

“No groceries dipshit, try again.”

“Damnit. Uh…” He was racking his brain for something, anything, Levi's hand slowly pushing him further into the hallway. “I'll wear a thong whenever you want even though they're super uncomfortable!” He squinted one eye bracing himself for the last shove into the hall. 

Levi hummed in consideration, then the glare softened and he said, “Apology accepted.” He yanked Eren back inside, closed the door and locked it. 

Eren sighed in relief and glanced at his feet, which were covered only in socks. He looked back up to Levi who had his arms folded across his chest. “You were going to lock me outside without my shoes.”

“I would've thrown them off the balcony for you.” 

“Rude.” But he caught the smile Levi was suppressing and knew that he wouldn't have actually done it.


	22. Stay Where I Can See You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while, and sorry this isn't longer. Work has been keeping me busy with extra projects. Hoping I'll have enough free time to update again next week, we'll see. Thanks for sticking around if you're still there.

The light ticks at the window were too soft to wake them, even after they multiplied and spattered across the glass, quickly blurring the outside world behind the curtain. If anything the ambient noise added to their comfort, the coziness of the blankets, and the warmth of their bodies pressed up next to each other. A position they had slowly molded themselves into throughout the night, both on their sides, Eren's right arm draped over the dip of a pale waist, his nose and lips at the nape of Levi's neck, breaths immeasurably light against that tender skin. 

The room had a slight chill to it now, the night had lifted up the ghost of rain and made it real, the temperature dropping in a way that filled one with a giddiness for an autumn that wasn't too far off. It wasn't until a deep rumble made it's way down from the overcast to reach their ears that their eyes fluttered open to take in the ashen daylight filling the room. They woke at the same time, almost feeling the vibrations from the thunder, then it faded away leaving behind the tick tick of even more drops. 

“It's raining.” Eren's voice was a groggy whisper.

“Mhm.”

Eren couldn't see it but Levi wore a sleepy look of contentment. He loved the rain, the sound of it, the grayness of the sky, and especially the smell. The arm around his waist tightened, a hand slid up to his chest and pulled him in tight against the brunette behind him, followed by soft lips tickling along the edge of his undercut. He couldn't stop the comfortable sigh he breathed out as he absorbed Eren's presence. This was the type of moment that would stick in your mind years later, so simple, but so perfect in so many ways. He soaked it in. 

“Do you have a show tonight?”

“Yeah.” 

“Can I come?”

Levi was about to say 'yes' but then he remembered what venue they'd be playing at.

“No.”

Eren groaned in disapproval and leaned up so he could look at Levi. “I already saw you, and like I said there's no reason to be embarrassed, you're amazing.”

“It's not that.” He shook his head. 

“Well what then?”

“We're playing at a really shady place tonight. I don't think you should be there.” 

A club called The Underground in the Dark District. A place he knew too well. The only reason they played there was as a favor for the owner Lou, a man who had helped Levi more than once in his tumultuous past. Because of the nature of the district Lou had a hard time booking local bands, not many acts were willing to shlep a bunch of expensive equipment into an area with such a bad rap. Levi owed the man, and so they played there every once in a while. The rest of the band was placated by Levi's strange relationship with Lou and the fact that they got free drinks after the show. 

“I'm not helpless you know.” Eren seemed mildly offended. 

“I don't think you're helpless Eren.” Levi sighed and turned onto his back.

He wasn't quite sure how to explain to Eren that the people who went to The Underground would view him as a shiny new toy. His youth and inexperience manifested in his boyish good looks, that white smile, skin unbesmirched by drugs. They'd be like sharks around him. 

“Please.” Eren snuggled back in, hugging Levi from the side, planting kisses along his neck as he took in his new favorite scent.

“It would be boring anyway, you already saw us play. It'll be the same songs.” He was trying hard not to melt into Eren's touches. 

“Uh-uh, I missed the first part last time, and I could never find you boring.”

“You can come to the next one.”

Eren was still immersed in touching Levi, was practically on top of the man now, lips pecking their way to the other side of his neck. The rain still pattering a symphony on the window. 

“Nah, I think I'll just come to this one.”

“God, you're such a stubborn shit.” 

“Mhm.”

Levi knew Eren well enough by now to know that he'd probably find his own way there if they didn't go together, and there was no way in hell he was going to let Eren wander around the Dark District out of his sight. At least if he let Eren come with him he'd be able to keep one eye on him at all times. 

Eren regarded Levi's silence. “So is that a yes?”

“What if it's not?”

“Hmm, well...then I'd probably get Ymir's number from Christa, I know she has it, and then ask Ymir where the show is and then take a Lyft there.”

Just as he thought. “Remind me why I like you again?”

Eren grinned. “You like me?”

Levi rolled his eyes and then rolled on top of Eren. “If I didn't you wouldn't be in my bed.”

“The cookies.”

“What?”

“That's why you like me.”

“Ah yes, of course.”

“And because I'm ridiculously handsome, and charming, and -”

“Okay brat,” He smirked. “that's enough reminding. Arrogance doesn't suite you, even if it is justified.”

“So I can come?”

“Fine.” Levi sighed. “But I still think it's a bad idea.”

 

They lingered under the covers a little longer, reluctant to vacate the coziness, but eventually emerged and dressed themselves. Levi made them a french press of coffee, something he always had stocked in the kitchen, which they shared out on the balcony, steam mesmerizing as it swirled into the cool air above their mugs. They watched the motion of the city and laughed sympathetically when a few pedestrians got splashed by careless cars passing by. 

“So what time is the show?”

“It's at nine, but we'll have to get there early enough to set everything up.”

“Okay, well I should probably head home and change and eat and stuff.”

“Yeah.”

They moved inside, placed their mugs in the sink, and Eren gathered his things to leave.

“I won't be able to ride the bike with it raining like this, well I wouldn't take it there anyway, it would just get stolen. So we'll have to ride with everyone in Donovan's disgusting van.” He actually shuddered at the thought of those stained seats, the crumbs all over the floor. 

“Okay.” Eren smiled to himself catching Levi's reaction to the mere thought of something dirty. 

They shared a kiss that started out innocent and slowly progressed, but they put a stop to it before it could get them too riled up.

“See-ya later.” Eren said and started to step out the door. 

“Eren, wait.”

He stopped as Levi turned and opened a small cupboard behind the door. 

“Here.” Levi placed a black umbrella in his hand.

Eren took the umbrella with a smile. “Thanks.” Then he was out the door. 

 

A shabby van pulled up to the curb, complete with rust spots and pealing light blue paint. Levi pulled the handle and ducked out of the rain into the passenger seat. He always rode shotgun in Donovan's van, something that was never really discussed, just understood by everyone. He pulled the heavy door closed with a metallic thud. 

“Ta da!” Donovan motioned exuberantly towards him. 

“What.” He said flatly, looking around himself as if he'd missed something he was supposed to see. 

A couple snickers came from Ymir and Bertholt behind him.

Donovan shot them a glare but maintained his enthusiastic expression. “I cleaned that spot for you.”

Levi looked around himself again, eyes halting on the stains, the crumbs, and the griminess of the dash. He was pretty sure he saw an empty beer can underneath the seat as well when he was getting in. He blinked back at Donovan wondering if it was supposed to be a joke, but the look on the guitarist's face told him it wasn't.

“What exactly does the word 'cleaned' mean to you Donovan?”

More snickers from the back. 

“Uh...well...” He shook his stringy hair out of his face. “...there was totally like four Del Taco bags and some fries spilled all over the floor there, and I threw them away for you.” He ended the sentence with a proud smile. 

Levi suddenly became aware of a stickiness on the armrest he had just touched and quickly withdrew his hand looking down at it. “What the fuck is on here?”

“Aw shit. Totally forgot that Tony spilled a Mountain Dew there a few days ago. Damnit, thought I got everything.”

“Wonderful.” The sarcasm was thick as he drew his arms in closer to his body.

There was full on laughter filling the back of the van now. 

“Fine!” Donovan scrunched his face into a disgruntled look. “I'll just stop trying alright?”

“No, please keep trying. I appreciate the lack of Del Taco bags and fries, though you missed a beer can that's under the seat.” 

The laughter had reached new heights, Ymir was clutching her side in pain, Bertholt gasping for air. 

“Fuck you guys.” Donovan put the van in drive and pulled away from the curb with a scowl, tires splashing through the pooled water in the gutter. 

If he hadn't been so disgusted, Levi would have cracked a half smile to himself. 

After a short drive they pulled in front of Eren's apartment building. Levi sent him a text and a couple minutes later Eren jogged out of the building and to the van. Ymir slid the side door open for him and he hopped over a puddle and climbed inside. 

“Hey.”

Eren was wearing a pair of dark washed skinny jeans, a black T-shirt with a small 'V' at the neck, and a burgundy zip-up hoodie that accentuated his green irisis. Levi eyed him as he entered the van and immediately regretted his decision to let him come. Eren looked edible, and Levi was sure he wouldn't be the only one thinking about devouring him. 

Eren slid the door closed behind him and took a seat. Ymir and Bertholt introduced themselves and Donovan offered a “Hey Eren.” in a somber tone, apparently still a little salty about his botched attempt to meet Levi's standards. 

“Don't mind him,” Bertholt assured. “he's just bitter that Levi didn't appreciate his cleaning.”

“I said I appreciated it.”

“Yeah, but I can tell you're still grossed out by the way you're trying not to touch anything.” Donovan countered. 

“Excuse me for not wanting to get nasty ass sugar jizz all over myself.”

“I don't see you driving us around.” Donovan grumbled.

“You're right,” Levi rolled his eyes. “thank you for letting us use your shitty van.”

“Hey, Gloria is not shitty. She's beautiful and reliable, and spacious. Right baby?” Donovan stroked the steering wheel lovingly.

“This is without a doubt the shittiest van I've ever seen. And Gloria? Really?” 

Donovan shot a sideways glare in Levi's direction, then leaned into the steering wheel and whispered. “He didn't mean it.”

“Oh, I meant it. Can we stop fucking around and go now?”

Donovan turned to look at Eren. “He's so unappreciative, you know.” He was purposefully being melodramatic.

“I literally said the words 'thank you', what the fuck else do want from me?”

“But it was a sarcastic 'thank you'.”

“That's all you fucking get. Will you just drive the god damn van?”

“Fine.”

Once again the back of the van was filled with snickering, this time with Eren joining in. Donovan shot Eren a secret smile through the rear-view mirror that told him he was just being dramatic to piss Levi off. 

The club was pretty far away, and it was quite obvious when they reached the Dark District. The streets were dirtier, there were more abandoned buildings than normal, and all the people they saw looked rough and regarded each other with suspicion. The grey sky and rain only added to the drab landscape. The area got it's name from the fact that law enforcement and whoever was pulling the strings with the money had come to a mutual agreement to leave each other alone. It wasn't uncommon for the police to ignore calls into the area. 

After passing through such slummy neighborhoods Eren was surprised to find that the club itself was actually quite nice, though it still had the kind of vibe that could put you on edge. He helped everyone unload the equipment in the dying daylight, trying hard to keep things covered as they passed through the rain, and set it up inside on a stage. Then he kind of just backed himself out of the way so they could connect the mess of wires and test everything. There was a decent amount of people in the club, most of them off in some other sections, one with pool tables and another that seemed like a dance area, but the later it got the more people started trickling in, and soon enough the place was pretty crowded. It was close to nine-o-clock and Eren noticed a row of girls, most of them tattooed and pierced, steadily growing at the base of the stage. 

Eren had been leaning against the wall off to the side of the stage just watching them get ready. They seemed like they were close to starting so he turned to go get himself a drink and find a good place to watch. He only made it a couple steps when he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Levi with his brow knit.

“Where are you going?”

“To get a drink and find a place to watch.”

“Stay where I can see you.”

Eren raised an eyebrow. “Yes Master.”

“I'm serious brat.”

He looked serious.

“Okay.” Eren shrugged. “I will.”

“Good.”

Then Levi was back up with the rest of the band finalizing their setup. 

Eren sifted his way through the growing crowd and made it to the bar. He had to wait a few minutes before a perturbed looking bartender with ample cleavage turned to him and said, “What do you want?”

“A mojito please.”

The girl stared blankly at him for a second before cracking a smile and letting out a 'pa' of laughter. “We don't make that shit here sweetheart. What else?”

“Uh...” He looked behind her at the bottles of liquor for inspiration and his eyes landed on a sign that read, 'Special: Vodka shot & Jagerbull $6'. What the hell, he had no idea what else to get. “the special.”

“Gettin' fucked up huh?” She winked at him. “Good choice.”

“I guess...”

She went to work on the drinks and spun around shortly with both. He slid her eight dollars cash, took the shot, cringed, chased with the Jagerbull, cringed again and coughed a little. The girl gave him an amused look as he set the shot glass down and said “Thank you.” He turned to find a table just as the first song began. 

He really wanted to find a seat, but as soon as the first words of the song left Levi's lips he just couldn't focus on anything else, so he incoherently stepped away from the traffic at the bar and stood in a random spot, enthralled. 

Levi looked so different up there singing, so...alive, and so expressive. It was mostly anger he seemed to be expressing, but there were touches of something softer, sadder. Eren thought he almost always seemed a little angry on any given day, but it was normally expressed with eye-rolls, sighs, and dry remarks. The way he was singing now was...almost heartbreakingly intense, it was so raw. Eren wondered if it was wrong to find it so attractive.

As soon as the song ended, he quickly looked around and was lucky enough to spot an empty table nearby. It was a little further from the stage than he wanted, but it was the only empty table he could see, so he settled for it and pulled up a stool. When he looked back up, his eyes met Levi's for the briefest of moments before Levi blinked down as the next song's lyrics dripped like honey from his mouth. Eren definitely missed this song last time, he would've remembered a song with sexiness of this caliber. He wasn't sure if it was Levi's voice or the shot of vodka causing that burning sensation in his guts, probably both, but either way it was pleasant. 

Eren got comfortable at the table, took his time drinking his cocktail, little sips here and there, mostly because he was just too caught up in watching the show, and that shot of vodka had gone straight to his head. As time went on however, he started to grow a little annoyed by how often he was getting interrupted. 'Let me buy you a drink.', 'You look lonely.', and even a 'I'll suck your cock for twenty.'

One especially grimy looking woman helped herself to a seat at the table. She grinned a yellow smile at Eren, mouth lacking a few teeth. “Looking for some company?”

“No, I'm not.” Eren sighed.

“Looking for something else then.” Her hand patted at her jacket pocket. 

“No. I'm not looking for anything. I'm just trying to watch the show.”

“Got some prime shit tonight.” A couple more pats to the pocket.

“Unless you have a tiny version of the singer in there,” He motioned to Levi. “I don't care.”

The woman looked from the stage to her pocket confused, then actually lifted the flap of fabric and peered down into it. “Nah, nah I don't got that.” She shook her head at Eren.

“Then go away.”

“Suit yerself.” She glared and left the table.

God damnit! Couldn't he just be left alone? 

He received the answer to that question twenty minutes later when two men sat themselves on either side of him, pulling their stools in close. The air around him changed immediately. These two weren't like the others that had stopped to talk to him, something about their presence reeked of maliciousness, and then there was the fact that there was two of them and, if Eren was being honest with himself, they could easily overpower him if they wanted to. He tensed up as the larger of the two, a man with a sallow face and greasy black hair leaned in and whispered, “Finally, somebody interesting.”

 

With one vigilant eye on Eren throughout the show, Levi caught every single one of those awkward interactions, each one amplifying the anxiety and gnawing possessiveness that had started to grow in his chest. One might think that such a distraction would diminish his performance, but the result was quite the opposite. The increased emotion he was feeling just funneled straight into the songs, filling them with even more vehemence. 

They were so close to the end of the set, just two more songs. Eren had been left alone for a while now, and Levi was really hoping that would remain the case until they were finished. He was about halfway through the second to last song when he saw two men sit at the table with Eren and scoot in close. Eren looked visibly uncomfortable, and despite the shake of his head that Levi caught, they made no move to leave. Shit.

Levi's eyes were glued to the situation, the heat of his rising anger spilling like magma from his throat in the form of lyrics that he knew by heart. Luckily the song he was currently singing was one of the angriest songs he had ever written, no soft or sad parts, just rage. Could he make it through one more song? He'd never cut a show short before. Maybe those assholes would leave. He willed them to leave, but they did not, and as he was screaming the last few lines one of them moved in even closer, wrapped his arm around Eren's shoulder and pulled him in snug, whispering something to him. While Eren was distracted, the second man slipped something from his pocket and with the same hand made one sleuth motion over Eren's drink. 

Fuck the last song.

The final word to leave his lips was a chilling scream, the pure embodiment of contempt, drums and guitars meeting it's ferocity with distorted notes that reverberated heavily as the song ended. Levi dropped the mic and stalked off the stage. The audience was left breathless, entirely unaware that this wasn't the intended ending to the show, to them it was the perfect finale to such a fiery performance.


	23. You Okay?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey this one didn't take me a month!

The smell of cheap cologne, whiskey, and cigarettes was wafting off the men, invading his air, and it was making Eren feel nauseous. 

“Why don't I go get you a drink.” Said the one closest to him.

“No.” Eren shook his head. “I already have one, I'm fine.” 

He was caught somewhere between trying to be firm, but trying not to piss the guys off. They seemed like the type to take offense easily, even if it was mock offense just to start shit.

“Well,” The man looked to the drink and then to his friend, a thin man with a jean vest on and a face that could have been twenty-two or forty-two, it was hard to tell. “look at that, he's already got one.” Then his eyes were back on Eren. “I'll just have to get the next one.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I'm fine, really.” 

“Aw come on, I don't get a chance to be nice very often. Let me have this one.” Then before Eren could respond the man slid in even closer, slipped his arm around Eren's shoulder and whispered in his ear, “Now, tell me why a fresh young thing like you is hanging out in a place like this. Looking for a little excitement? Suburbs got you bored?”

Eren had never felt so violated by the simple touch of an arm on his shoulder, and the man's whiskey and cigarette whisper sent an uncomfortable chill down his spine. What could he say to get out of this?

“No.” He tried to pull away, but the arm just tightened around him. Shit. “I, uh, I'm just here for the show actually.” Stop stammering you idiot. “But I should probably get going...”

He made a move to leave, where to he had no idea, but the arm just sat him back down. 

“But you haven't finished your drink.” The man slid the glass across the table so that it was right in front of Eren. 

“Yeah, it'd be a shame to waste good alcohol.” The friend chimed in.

His heart was beating wildly. He could admit that he was scared, but he was also getting pretty pissed off about being pushed around. 

Eren had two levels of angry: 'irritated but mostly under control' and then 'absolutely fucking berserk'. He didn't want to get pushed to the berserk level because he would probably just get his ass kicked. It'd be better if he could just keep his cool and weasel out of this somehow. But how?

Suddenly the weight of the man's arm disappeared and a familiar voice spit words like venom behind him.

“The brat's mine. You can both fuck off now.”

Eren turned to see that beautiful…and livid face, eyes like daggers carving the man and his friend up into tiny pieces. 

“Levi.” He breathed the name with relief, then looked to the stage with confusion as he realized that Levi had been up there just seconds ago. 

Donovan was picking up the mic with a bewildered look, “Uh...we are Humanity's Strongest.” The crowd cheered and soon Donovan was basking in the attention saying, “Thank you! We love you!”

“Oh he's yours is he?” It was the bigger one, the talker, sizing Levi up. Then he looked Eren up and down and said, “Well I don't see your name on him anywhere. So I think the one who can fuck off is you.” 

The man made a move to put his arm back around Eren, but it halted at Levi's next words.

“Touch him again and I'll break your fucking hand.”

Eren had never seen Levi so angry before, it was terrifying even to him and he was not on the receiving end of it. He stood from the stool and took a step backwards towards Levi, away from the table. The two men stood as well, the stools squeaking with the motion. 

The four of them were in a tense line at this point; the skinny friend in the vest, Eren, Levi next to him, and then the larger man. 

The skinny one spoke. “You really with this shrimp?” he scoffed at Levi. “What an asshole. Bet he has a shrimp in his pants too.” He laughed at his own joke.

Eren was quickly moving past 'irritated but mostly under control', he clenched his jaw and moved to step towards the bastard, but Levi put a hand to his arm and gave him a look that said 'Just leave it.'. How could Levi simultaneously be the angriest Eren had ever seen him but still be so collected!? It was inhuman! 

Eren growled with the effort of stopping his feet and settled for a pointed “Fuck you!” 

The man gave Eren a twisted smile, revealing blackened teeth. “I'd like to see you say that again with my fat dick in your mouth.”

“And mine in your ass.” Added the larger man, taking a step closer. He'd mistaken Levi's reluctance to fight as a sign of weakness, and reached past him to grope Eren from behind, which was a huge mistake. 

The hand never reached Eren. Levi snatched it with his own right hand and gave it a sharp twist that resulted in a sickening crack, his left hand balled into a fist and hooked the man right in the jaw, sending him stumbling back.

Without Levi's interception Eren probably would've escaped being groped anyway, because the moment the vested guy had finished speaking Eren's control had snapped and he had lunged forward. The momentum sent the two of them toppling into a table and then onto the floor where they ended up wrestling for the position of power. 

Levi was about to turn towards Eren but apparently the larger man hadn't had enough. He raged forward swinging his better fist at Levi, but his movements were slow and dumb. Levi side-stepped the punch, grabbed the man's arm as it passed by him, then kicked his legs out from under him. He released his hold on the arm and the man fell, hands out, trying to brace himself. He cried out in pain as the hand Levi had twisted buckled under his weight. He hit the floor hard. 

Eren won the wrestling match and ended up on top. His fist connected with the side of the man's head. He looked dazed for just a moment, shook it off, and then Eren was caught completely by surprise when the man full-on spit in his face. He reared back in disgust, squinting his eyes, and yelling, “What the fuck?!” as he tried to wipe his face with his arm. While Eren was caught up in this moment of revulsion, the man saw his opening and slammed a fist into Eren's stomach. A cheap move. Luckily there wasn't much force behind the punch due to the man's position on the floor, but it still knocked the wind out of Eren.

Levi turned around just in time to see Eren take the hit. He took a step forward, ready to murder the vested piece of shit, but he was caught from behind in a tight bear-hug by someone far larger than him. He knew immediately it was one of the bouncers trying to break up the fight. He felt his arms pin flat to his sides, and watching Eren he realized that the brunette may not have needed his help after-all. 

While Eren was trying to recover his breath he actually managed to swing his fist at the man's face again, this time sending a streak of blood from his nose. Immediately afterward, he too was snatched from behind by a second bouncer. The bouncer was huge, lifted Eren up like he was a child and pinned him in place while he struggled, apparently still in berserk mode, growling “Get your fucking hands off me!” His feet kicking above the floor.

Levi, standing there, letting himself be restrained, had to admit he was a bit surprised by Eren's fury. Guess the kid really wasn't helpless.

Suddenly a very stout man appeared saying, “What the hell is all this?” He had trim dark facial hair and gaudy rings bedecking his fingers. He glanced at the two men on the floor first, one clutching his hand and groaning, the other rolling on his back, holding his face. No need for them to be restrained. Then he looked up and his eyes raked over Levi with familiarity, the anger leaving his face.

“Whoa Jim, ease up, I know this one.”

The large arms around him released their hold and Levi looked from the men on the ground to the stout man in charge. “Sorry Lou.” He shrugged. It was a lackluster apology. 

Lou extended his arms out in exasperation. “I thought you gave this shit up a long time ago?”

“I did.”

“Well then what the fuck happened here?”

Levi took a deep breath and answered, “These shit stains were slipping roofies into your patron's drinks.”

Lou folded his arms and gave Levi an evaluating look, running his tongue over his gums in thought. “I always knew you had a heart of gold kid, but when did you turn into some sort of vigilante?” Lou was the only person alive who could refer to Levi as 'kid' and get away with it. 

Levi didn't speak, just flicked his eyes past Lou to where Eren was, still struggling. 

Lou turned his head to follow Levi's gaze, then turned back with something like a glint of amusement in his eyes. “He belong to you?”

Levi still said nothing. 

Lou knew that was 'yes'. “Feisty, but I guess he'd have to be to keep up with you.” He turned back to the bouncer holding Eren and said, “He's fine Dirk, let 'im go.”

The iron grip enclosing Eren suddenly disappeared and he fell to the floor, knocking his elbow painfully. “Ah fuck.” He winced rubbing it.

“Lou.” Levi glared.

“Eh, sorry.” He gave a sympathetic look, then turned and shouted, “Dirk!” as if the man's name itself was a reprimand.

“Sorry boss.” Dirk bent and extended a hand to help, but Eren scowled at it and pushed himself up to a standing position, still rubbing his elbow. Dirk looked back to Lou with a shrug. 

Lou sighed, glanced at the two men still squirming on the floor in pain, then turned to the other bouncer, “Get these two outta here Jim. Who let this trash in here in the first place?” He looked between the bouncers. “Is my club a fuckin' trashcan?!” 

“No boss.” They answered in unison as they each lifted up one of the men and started hauling them outside.

Then Lou turned to the bartender. “Give The Raven and his friends whatever they want.”

“Lou.” Levi gave him a pointed look.

“Sorry sorry, I forget sometimes.” He held up his hands, turned back to the bartender. “Give _Levi_ and his friends whatever they want.”

“You got it.” she replied.

Lou turned back to Levi, the tone of his voice changed to something quieter, less authoritative. “Just...try to take it outside next time yeah?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Lou gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder, then walked off to handle the rest of the night.

Levi was immediately next to Eren looking him over. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I'm fine. Just…where's the bathroom in this place?” Eren was grimacing. “That fucker spit in my face and I might puke if I don't get to wash off soon.”

“Oh god.” Levi had missed that part. “Come on.” 

They started to walk away, but Donovan jogged up behind them. “I totally expect an explanation later for why you left us hanging, but for now, do we still get free drinks?” He looked worried.

“Yes,” Levi rolled his eyes. “now fuck off.” He shooed Donovan with a wave of his hand and him and Eren kept walking. 

Donovan was left behind looking like a kicked puppy. “What'd I do?”

Levi led Eren through the maze of people and eventually they ended up walking down a hallway. They passed a women's bathroom on their right, and then a men's. Eren's feet slowed and he made to push through the door, but Levi caught his arm and shook his head. “Not that one.” 

They walked to the end of the hall and through a door that said 'Staff Only', turned a corner and there in front of them was another door with a restroom sign on it. Eren wondered if it was okay for them to be back here, but at this point he really didn't care. All he wanted was to wash his face off. 

He went in alone, it was a single person bathroom anyway, and Levi waited outside, leaning against the wall. He spit into the sink probably ten times, cupped water to his face, lathered a shit ton of soap in his hands, squinted and scrubbed. He rinsed, repeated, spit some more, even scrubbed his lips until he could taste soap in his mouth, then rinsed again. He dried his face with paper towels, then got to work rubbing soap suds into the sleeve of his hoodie that he'd used to wipe his face. He rinsed that and dried it the best he could under the heated hand dryer. Then he looked at his elbow; just a small bruise forming. Ran his hand over his stomach; a tad sore, but nothing terrible. He looked himself over in the mirror, mussed his hair a little, and then took a deep breath, letting the adrenaline in his blood settle. 

All in all things hadn't turned out so bad. The cool water had refreshed him and helped calm him down. He was good.

“Better?” Levi asked as he stepped out of the bathroom.

“Much.”

“Good. I'm going to wash my hands real quick.”

“K.”

Levi was only in there for a minute or two, leaving Eren to regard his surroundings with a mild curiosity. He was in a long dim hallway with multiple doors, all shut, not a soul in sight. Then Levi stepped out of the bathroom and pulled Eren into him, bringing their lips together in a fervent kiss, hands holding him possessively. After a moment Levi broke the kiss and looked up at Eren with concern.

“You sure you're okay?”

“Mhm.” Eren nodded, eyes traveling over Levi. “Are you?”

“Yeah.”

Eren gave him a small smile. “Bet he didn't even touch you.”

“He tried.” Levi shrugged.

Then Eren's face became a little more serious. “Did you really break his hand?”

Levi nodded, then asked, “Does that bother you?”

Eren looked away in thought, then looked back to meet Levi's eyes. “No.”

“Good.” Levi gave him a small smirk. “Because I'm pretty sure you broke the other guy's nose.”

Eren's eyes went wide and stepped back a little. “Really?”

Levi nodded again. “Kind of looked like it.”

“Oh shit.” Eren breathed. 

Levi regarded his expression for a minute, was that remorse? “I wouldn't feel too bad. He is the one who drugged your drink.”

“What?!” Eren's eyes went wide with surprise again. Apparently he had missed that part of Levi and Lou's conversation while he was struggling to get away from the bouncer. “He drugged my drink?!”

“Yeah, saw it from up on-stage. Right when the other one put his arm around you.”

“Jesus...” He looked at the floor for a minute and then it dawned on him that this had been exactly what Levi was worried about, he felt like an asshole for being so insistent on coming. He looked back up, opened his mouth to apologize, but Levi cut him off. 

“Don't.” Levi shook his head. “I'm just glad you're okay. That could have been a lot worse.” 

Well if he couldn't apologize, then… “Thanks, for keeping me from getting my ass kicked...” Eren looked away a bit embarrassed about the whole situation.

“I dunno...” Levi stepped back in close, slid one hand around Eren's neck, the other around his waist. “You might have been able to take them. You've got a pretty mean punch brat.”

Eren snorted a laugh. “Psh, whatever.”

Then their lips were pressed together, soft and warm, mouths parted slightly. Eren licked his tongue inside Levi's mouth, pulled him in tight. Levi let out the smallest of moans and met Eren's tongue with his own, slid the hand on Eren's waist down to his ass. 

Their quiet solitude was broken by the sound of a door opening, a throat clearing, and the exaggerated words, “Well pardon me! Just came to take a wizz, didn't know I'd be getting a show too.”

They pulled apart. It was Lou looking between them with raised eyebrows. Eren blushed and said, “Sorry, about earlier.”

“Yeah yeah.” Lou waived his hand in dismissal. “Get out of my fuckin' hall, both of ya.” 

Levi and Lou exchanged a look that Eren didn't quite understand. Then Levi turned to Eren with a curve of his lips and said, “Come on, let's go get a drink.”

That was the first time Lou had ever seen Levi smile, and a tiny bit of the ice-cold heart he prided himself on melted. He sighed and stepped into the bathroom to take a piss. 

 

Back out at the bar Donovan was ordering a round of shots, five in all, so that Eren and Levi could have one when they came back. 

“Give me your keys.” Ymir's hand was in front Donovan.

“What?” He turned to her. 

“Somebody's gotta drive the van back to Bert's and it's not going to be you.”

He gave her a dumb smile. “Dude, you're the coolest Ymir.”

“I know.”

He pulled the keys from his pocket, was about to set them in her hand, but stopped suddenly. “Wait.”

“What?”

He looked around as if he was about to tell a secret. “I'll only give them to you if you promise to make Levi and Eren come to the after-party. You don't even have to say anything, just drive straight to Bert's. Right?” He looked to Bertholt who nodded, totally fine with the secret.

Ymir sighed. “Fine.”

“Promise.”

“Yeah, okay, I promise.”

“Pinky.” Donovan held his pinky in front of her.

“God, what are you five?”

“You know, you're almost as mean as Levi sometimes.” He looked hurt. 

“Alright, pinky promise.” 

They locked pinky's and shook. Donovan put the keys in her hand, then turned to gather the shots. Just then Levi and Eren approached them at the bar. 

“Shots!” Donovan beamed. He had one in each hand, held them out to Levi and Eren. They looked at each other, shrugged and accepted the tiny glasses. Then Donovan handed one to Bertholt, kept one for himself, and held the last out to Ymir. She blinked at him like he was an idiot.

“Oh right, duh. Guess these are both mine.” He laughed, then motioned to Levi and Eren with both his shots. “To these two badass mother fuckers.”

Levi rolled his eyes, they all clinked glasses, and downed the shots. 

They didn't stay long, mostly because Levi was antsy to get going. He didn't like hanging around The Underground longer than he had to. Donovan, Ymir, and Bertholt had taken all their equipment into a secure room while Eren and Levi had been gone, and before they moved it all back to the van, Donovan forced one more round of shots on them. He hated walking away from free booze.

The rain still hadn't relented, so once again they had to be careful hefting everything from the club to the van. When it was all packed away in back, Ymir got in the driver's seat, Bertholt in the back, and when Donovan also tried to climb in back he found Levi sitting next to Eren. 

“Whoa, what the...” He stepped back confused.

Levi raised an eyebrow at him. “You think I'm going to sit in that sticky ass seat again? You can sit there.”

“I don't care.” He shrugged and hopped in the front.

Ymir however, the only sober one at this point, knew that was just Levi's excuse for sitting in the back with Eren. 

They drove out of the Dark District, back into cleaner and brighter places that made the rain more beautiful and less sad. The change of the mood was almost palpable. Donovan switched on some music, an actual cassette tape of different ska songs, it was a miracle the tape player even still worked. Him and Bertholt began drunkenly singing along, loud and out of tune, but they were having fun.

“You know Levi is the singer for a reason!” Ymir shouted at them over the music, but Eren saw that she was smiling and actually tapping the beat out with a finger on the steering wheel. Levi just shook his head.

Their good mood was infectious, the perfect remedy to cure the lingering intensity from their violent interaction earlier. Eren was just enjoying the company, looking out the window at the lights passing, but then Levi leaned in closer to Ymir so she could hear him through the noise.

“Ymir you missed the turn. You should have gone left there.” He pointed behind them. 

Donovan and Bertholt stopped singing and exchanged a look with Ymir, they were all smirking and soon the smirking broke into snickering. 

“What is this?” Levi looked between them with suspicious eyes, then, “oh no, uh uh, turn around.”

Eren didn't really know what was going on, just watched the interaction, content with the entertainment. 

“I can't.” Ymir shrugged.

“What do you mean you can't? Turn the damn van around.”

“I promised.”

“I don't give a fuck.”

“It was _pinky_.” She held one pinky up at him and wiggled it, the other hand still on the wheel. 

Levi immediately turned his head to the passenger seat and glared. “Donovan.”

“Come on maaan. You never come to the after parties.” He looked like a kid begging his father to play catch in the front yard. 

“That's because they suck.”

“That's because you just scowl around avoiding people for like ten minutes and then ghost the fuck out.”

“He's got a point.” Bertholt chimed in. “But Eren will be there this time, so maybe you'll have fun. Come oooon.” He actually grabbed Levi's shoulders and gave him a little shake.

Levi shoved him away, leaned back against the seat, sighed, and turned his head to Eren with an unamused look. “What do you think brat? You want to go to this shit?”

Eren smiled and shrugged one shoulder. “Sure. Might be fun.” 

For a moment Levi looked like he might disregard Eren's input entirely, then he threw his hands up in defeat. “Fine, we'll come.”

“Yaaaay!!” Donovan leaned back and high-fived Bertholt, then they both started yell singing to the music again. 

Eren laughed and Levi glanced to him with a stifled smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time Bomb by Rancid is a pretty fitting song for the end of this chapter. Give it a listen if you like.


	24. Drink Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I never actually intended for this fic to turn into whatever the hell it is now. I originally started writing it as like a quick smutty story about Levi and Eren hooking up after work one night just to kind of get something out of my head. But, then I kept going with it as a way to satisfy more of my own Levi X Eren fantasies, and well...however many months and words later, here we are. Basically, I'm trying to say that I didn't have like an overarching plot planned out when I started this and I still kinda don't, ha ha. I'm just wingin' it, typing shit out to satisfy some monster within. So, that being said, hopefully you guys are still enjoying it!

When they pulled into the driveway of Bertholt's place, an older looking two-story house, there were already a bunch of cars outside. Apparently the party had already started. The band kept all their equipment in the basement at Bert's since that's where they held practices, him being the only member who wasn't living in an apartment building. Eren helped them unload everything and take it to the basement, passing through a bunch of people who were holding red cups full of mystery liquid. Music was coming from a sound system somewhere in the house. 

As soon as everything was tucked away in the basement Donovan was snatching Eren by the arm and leading him somewhere. “Come on Eren. Ymir had to drive so she's way behind, you gotta help her catch up.”

“What?” Eren had lost Levi at some point while unloading everything and tried to look for him as he bumped past various strangers, unsure of where he was being taken.

“I bet you're pretty good, so you could probably beat her.”

“Good at what?”

They had pushed through a door and were now outside on a covered backyard patio. The rain had finally stopped and the night was warming back up. Donovan led him to the end of a table and let him go. “Beer pong.” He grinned.

Eren regarded the table he'd been placed in front of, then looked up to see Ymir across from him at the other end, cups half full of beer strategically placed between them.

Ymir rubbed her hands together. “Let's go Eren.”

“Uh, oh, okay.” Eren felt a little awkward being around so many people he didn't really know. 

Donovan placed a ping pong ball in his hand. “You're first. Oh wait! Winner plays Levi.” Levi wasn't present to protest so nobody had any objections.

The game started. 6 cups to each of them, just one on one. 

Eren's first shot bounced off the tip of one of the cups to his disappointment. But it was just the first shot, he wasn't warmed up yet.

Ymir tossed the ball back toward Eren's side and it sunk cleanly into one of the beers with a wet 'plop'.

“Seriously?” Eren looked at her. “First shot?” She just shrugged and smirked at him. 

He downed the beer and set the empty cup out of the way. Gotta step it up a notch.

He missed again. She missed. Eren's next shot was in the cup but ricocheted out. “Bullshit!” he called. Then Ymir's next shot sunk into another beer. 

“Shit.” He muttered to himself, then downed that beer in a few gulps and stacked that cup in the other empty one.

“Come on Eren, she's kickin' your ass.” Donovan was their personal cheerleader.

“I'm at a total disadvantage here!” He threw his hands out. “I started this game like three drinks deep, she's totally sober!”

“I know! That's why you gotta beat her, so she has to drink all those beers!”

Eren decided that his jacket was impeding his aim, so he took it off and threw it to the side. “Alright alright.” He shook his hands out.

Maybe it was the jacket or maybe he just got lucky, but he made the next two shots and Ymir missed the next two shots. They were even now. Each of them called for a re-rack. Eren's next shot clipped the tip and bounced away. Ymir barely made hers in. 

Eren groaned, downed the beer a little slower this time, then stacked the cup again. That's when he noticed that Levi was off to the side watching the game with a bored look, arms folded. Well he had to win now damnit!

He readied himself, took a deep breath for focus, then decided he was going to go for a bounce shot. If he made it in she'd have to drink two. He tossed the ball. She wasn't expecting a bounce shot so her move to slap the ball away was too slow and it plopped into one of the beers with a satisfying noise.

“Awww shit Ymir! That means two!” Donovan shouted. She glared at him, quickly pounded both beers and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Ymir was down to two cups, Eren had three. Ymir called for a re-rack, 'like a traffic light'. She shot, missed, Eren shot and missed. Ymir made the next throw right in the center cup. Eren groaned, but chugged the beer.

Two cups for each of them now. 

Eren had a nice buzz going at this point, he might even be at that perfect amount of inebriation where your skills were honed for like a twenty minute window. Yeah, he was probably there. His next shot banked into one of the cups. Yes! One left.

Ymir's next toss made it in, spun around in the cup, looked like it was going to fly out, but ended up dropping back down onto the beer.

This was it now. Whoever made the next shot would win. With only one thing left to aim at, and a decent amount of beer downed, they both frustratingly missed over and over for the next few shots. 

“Come on you guuuuys. I'm getting bored.” Donovan bounced on his feet. 

“Oh okay Donovan, I'll be serious now and actually make this one.” Eren was giving him a little bit of sarcastic sass. He kept his eyes on Donovan and aimlessly tossed the ball in Ymir's direction entirely expecting to air-ball off the table somewhere. But then he heard Ymir from across the table…

“No fucking way! Does that…?” She was looking around at everyone, mouth agape. “Does that count?”

Bertholt had appeared out of nowhere. “Totally counts.”

Eren looked back to see the ball floating on top of Ymir's last beer. “What?! I made it in?! Ah ha ha ha, oh man, that's awesome.” He couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. 

Ymir muttered a few words to herself, downed the beer, then pointed a finger at Eren. “Your ass is grass next time Eren.” She gave him a crooked smile and then walked away back into the house.

“You're up Levi.” Donovan motioned to the now empty spot across from Eren. 

Oh shit. Eren had forgotten that winning meant he'd have to play against Levi. He was still feeling pretty good though, like he was still in that zone of drunken skill.

Levi just gave Donovan a raised eyebrow and shook his head.

“But you have to play, we all decided that winner plays you.” Donovan motioned to the end of the table again and then started preparing a new round of beers.

“ _We_ all decided? Do you realize how disgusting this game is?”

“Come on old man,” Eren gave him a smirk. “afraid I might make this victory number three?”

“Oh ho ho!” Bertholt actually brought a hand to his mouth. “Did he just call you 'old man'?” 

“Shut it Bert.” Levi shot him a glare that quickly transferred to Eren, who was wearing a smug grin.

“Alright you cocky little shit, I'll take the bait.” Levi stepped around to the end of the table just as Donovan finished arranging the fresh beers. Sober Levi definitely wouldn't play beer pong, but Levi after a few shots from the bar? Well, he was willing to overlook some dislikes in order to put Eren in his place. 

He didn't even wait for Donovan to officially start the game, as he liked to do, he just grabbed the ball and with his eyes locked on Eren's tossed it directly into Eren's middle beer. “Drink up bitch.” He cracked a sinister smile. 

Oh it was on now! Eren chugged his beer and slammed the cup down. He bounced on his feet a little wearing his game face and then made his shot. It clipped the tip of the first cup then landed in one of the back beers. Yes! “Oh! Who's drinking now?”

Levi drank his beer and set the cup to the side, disgusted by what he'd just done. The things he did for this brat… His next shot was in, but bounced out. “Fuck.”

Eren tossed the ball and it was a solid plop into the beer closest to him. “Ha ha! I'm so going to beat you.”

“Tch.” Levi gave him a non-plussed look and huffed a little before forcing the beer down. Time to get serious. He bounced the next one, and it didn't look good a first, but surprisingly barely tipped into one of the cups. 

“Ooooh! Double!!” Donovan and Bertholt yelled together.

“Shit.” Eren grumbled and then, with a bit of a struggle, downed two. He was feeling pretty tipsy now, was worried he might be slipping out of the sweet zone and into the sloppy zone. His next shot confirmed his fear. It was way off and actually would have hit Levi in the face if he hadn't dodged it. 

“Hey Eren,” Levi kept a straight face and pointed to the table. “the cups are down here.”

“Shut up.” He glared. 

They re-racked. Eren with three beers in a line and Levi with four in a square. 

Levi missed his next shot. Eren tried for a bounce shot, and it would've gone in but Levi slapped it away just in time. Levi's next shot sunk straight into the middle beer. Eren groaned a drawn-out “Nooo.” and as he was lifting it to his face to drink it, a second ball came out of nowhere and landed in the beer again, splashing him in the face. 

Donovan and Bertholt immediately lost it, yelling, “Death Cup! Death Cup! Levi wins!!”

“What!?” Eren wiped the droplets of beer from his cheek. “No way!”

Donovan saw Eren's confusion and elaborated for him. “If you make a second ball in a beer while someone is trying to drink it you automatically win the game. It's the Death Cup!”

“That's fucking bullshit!” Eren looked to Levi. “I didn't know that was a rule! It doesn't count!”

“It's not my fault you don't know the rules to the games you play. I win.”

“God damnit.” Eren grumbled. “That's totally not fair.”

“Sorry Eren, rules are rules.” Bertholt gave him a sympathetic look.

“You don't have to drink the rest of those though, I think you've suffered through enough piss beer for one night.” Levi eye-balled the cups with disgust. 

Eren almost wanted to drink them just to spite him, but Levi was right, he really didn't want anymore of this nasty beer. 

“Yeah, that's cool. We'll just use them for the next game.” Donovan immediately stepped to the table and started preparing another game. Cracking open fresh cans of beer that he'd taken from a box under the table. “Okay, now I play Bert. Eren you ref.”

Eren looked to Levi who shrugged. 

“Alright.” Eren agreed. 

While Bertholt and Donovan were busy setting up their game, Levi came around to Eren and stepped up close, lips next to his ear. “I'm going to go get us a real drink. I'll be right back, k?” Then he placed a quick but sultry kiss just below Eren's ear, shot him a look that was part seductive and part gloating over his win, and disappeared into the house.

“O-okay.” Eren stuttered a little and swallowed. Damnit. He couldn't even be mad about Levi winning anymore, he was just...smitten. Yeah, kinda drunk and pleasantly smitten. He stared after Levi for a moment, his brain following a strange train of thought about the word 'smitten' that ended in him imagining Levi wearing mittens. He giggled to himself.

“Earth to Eren!” 

“What?” Eren turned at the sound of his name to see Donovan and Bertholt both staring at him.

“We're going to start now.” Donovan was grinning. 

“Oh right.” Eren glanced away, a little embarrassed, and stepped up next to the table. 

 

Levi made his way through the crowded house, trying his best to avoid contact with anyone, something that was nearly impossible when surrounded by a bunch of drunk people. He was headed toward the kitchen to evaluate his drink options. He made it through a hallway and halfway through a living room area where the music was blasting before a random guy stopped him.

“Hey, great show tonight!” He held his hand out in a motion that solicited something between a handshake and a high five. 

“Uh, thanks.” Levi looked to the hand awkwardly. Should he slap it? Shake it? He didn't want to do either. He didn't know where this guy's hands had been, in fact, now that he thought about it he really should wash his own hands after playing beer pong. He would. Find the bathroom first -he had to pee anyway- wash his hands, then go to the kitchen to evaluate the drinks.

He'd taken too long, the moment got a little too weird, so the guy just settled for a friendly pat to Levi's shoulder.

“I was just going… to take a piss.” Levi motioned back towards where he'd come from, turned away and backtracked to the bathroom. He heard the guy say, “Oh, right on man.” as he walked away. Fuck he hated these parties. He got more than enough social interaction from his line of work, he really didn't need any more than that. 

He found the bathroom, but to his dismay there were already three people standing around the door, waiting their turn. Guess he'd just have to wait. He stood there for what seemed like an eternity, enduring a few more hand pats from strangers shuffling past accompanied by some sort of compliment about the show. He turned into the wall a little, kept his head low, he couldn't take much more of this. The line hadn't moved at all. What the hell was taking so long? At this point he figured only two things could be happening in that bathroom; puking or fucking.

And that's when he remembered that Bert's house also had a bathroom in the basement. He bailed and shuffled through some more people until he was walking down some stairs into a thick cloud of smoke. In the dim light of the basement was a small circle of people sitting cross-legged on the floor passing a couple joints around. As he passed them someone said, “Hey man, want a toke?” He just shook his head and kept walking. He'd never really liked weed, it just made him anxious. 

Finally, the bathroom, and nobody in it. Thank god. He washed his hands, took a much needed piss, washed his hands again, then took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. It was getting a little long these days, he'd have to trim it soon. Alright, time to trek to the kitchen. 

He made sure to avoid all eye contact and made it there without having to talk to anyone. There was one small group of people hanging out near the end of the counter, but fortunately the area around the beverage selection was currently unoccupied. There were quite a few bottles of liquor spread out on the counter, as well as some cheap mixers. He was debating between a rum and coke and a screwdriver, holding a bottle of rum in one hand and a bottle of vodka in the other. Which one would Eren want? Then he felt a hand on the small of his back, it slowly caressed upwards until it stopped at his shoulder. Oh good, Eren was here, he'd just ask him. He turned into the touch and held the bottles out. “You want rum or vodka?”

“Vodka of course.” A blonde girl with heavy eye make-up and a nose piercing snatched the bottle from his hand, poured a generous glug into two red cups, set the bottle down and handed Levi one of the cups. “Cheers!”

Fuck. This was certainly not Eren. And now he was holding a shot of vodka as this girl looked at him expectantly. He just looked back, caught completely off-guard. 

“Well come on, take the shot with me. You can't just offer me a drink and then not drink with me. That's creepy.”

Creepy? Was it? This girl looked vaguely familiar, did he know her? Shit, maybe he should just take the shot. Then it'd be done, he could get a drink for Eren and get the hell out of here. He sighed and downed the shot. The girl downed hers right after and smiled at him. 

“Do I know you?” He asked, it was bugging the shit out of him that he couldn't figure out why she looked so familiar. But before the girl could answer another girl sidled up next to her. A brunette with bright red lipstick. 

“Claire! Did you seriously just take a shot with him without me?”

“He offered.” She beamed at her friend. 

“K, well now you're just going to have to do another cuz you left me out.”

The new girl grabbed the bottle of vodka and poured another unmeasured glug into Levi's cup, which was still in his hand. Then she poured some for herself and her friend. 

This girl looked familiar too...why? They clinked his cup with another “Cheers.” to which he gave no response. They both blinked at him. 

“He's going to drink with us right?” The brunette looked to her friend Claire.

“I know, I already told him it's creepy to give girls drinks and then not drink with them.”

What?! He hadn't given anyone a drink! In fact, _they_ were the ones pouring _him_ drinks! “I just had a shot.”

“Aw come on Levi, Ruby hasn't missed a single one of your shows since January. She deserves at least one shot with you.” The blonde, Claire, was referring to her friend who was nodding enthusiastically. 

Who were these girls? Jesus, fine, he'd take one more shot, and then he was getting the fuck out of here. He begrudgingly downed his second helping of vodka, winced, then turned and set the cup on the counter. When he turned back, intending to leave, he was faced with two more girls. A redhead and another blonde, this one with dangly earrings. Shit, they were multiplying. He tried to take a step back -they were all far too close to him- but found that he was already right up against the counter. Trapped.

“Hey Levi, how come you didn't sing your new song tonight? I really liked that one.” It was the redhead.

The girl with the earrings ignored her friend's question and immediately asked her own. “Someone said you got into a fight after the show and broke some guy's legs. Is that true?”

“No.” Levi scowled and shook his head. “I broke his hand, not his legs.” God, why was he even answering that question? The beer from earlier was starting to hit him and he could feel the vodka in his stomach spreading out like magma, making him feel a little fuzzy. He took a deep breath to try to gather himself. 

“That's so cool.” She sighed.

More questions just came at him, one after another, with no space in-between. Wait were there six girls now? When did that happen? Where had the other two even come from?

“Are you guys going to put out an album? You should, I'd totally buy it.”

“Yeah me too.”

“So who came up with the name Humanity's Strongest? Was it you?”

“How come you never come to the after parties?”

“How do you get your hair to look so good all the time? Do you use product?”

“What's your Facebook name?”

“You're going to be here for a while right?”

“I really like your lip ring.”

“Amy told me that she made-out with you once. She's lying right? I knew it, she's such a liar.”

“Are those girl jeans? They look really tight.”

“Do you always wear black?”

“Mmm, you smell good.”

“Here take a shot with us!” 

One of the new ones shoved another drink in his hand. The incessant questioning and claustrophobic situation certainly made him feel like he 'needed a drink'. He looked down at the cup and sighed. Fuck it. He downed the shot and immediately regretted it. Why had he done that? That was stupid. No more. He'd already had like two shots more than he'd intended. He slid the cup across the counter in disdain, away from him, as if that would somehow cancel out the shot. He needed to get out of here, go find Eren.

Then the first girl, Claire, stepped in closer with devious eyes. “So I heard you have a huge tattoo of a raven on your chest. Can we see it?”

The other girls stepped in to match her distance, voicing their agreement, faces eagerly awaiting his answer.

He looked between them, brow furrowed. “What? No.”

“You don't have to be shy… just show it to us real quick, we won't let anyone else see.” She reached a hand out, grabbed the hem of Levi's shirt and started to slide it up, revealing the waistband of his underwear and a peak of bare stomach. 

“I don't have a fucking raven tattoo.” He slapped her hand away, and tried to back away again even though he couldn't. 

She gasped at the slap, but seemed more excited than offended.

“See, I told you guys!” Ruby, the red-lipped one, the one who hadn't missed a show since January. “If he did we'd be able to see part of it when he wears that tank-top with the sides that are longer.”

Holy fuck this was getting weird. 

 

Out back Donovan and Bertholt's game came to end. They obviously played a lot of beer-pong, especially Bertholt, because he annihilated Donovan. Donovan didn't seem to mind losing in the slightest however, downing each beer happily.

With the game over, Eren looked around. Levi still hadn't come back yet. What was taking him so long? He was too warm to put his hoodie back on so he just left it and decided to go inside and look for Levi. It was harder than he expected due to the large amount of people milling around everywhere and the fact that Levi was shorter than most, so he'd be difficult to spot. It didn't help that he wasn't very familiar with the layout of the house either. After a few minutes of looking, he ended up spotting Ymir talking to a few people. He headed over to her and yelled above the music.

“Hey Ymir, have you seen Levi anywhere?”

She cracked a smile and nodded. “Yeah, he's in the kitchen, getting swarmed.”

“Swarmed? What does that mean?” Whatever it was it didn't sound like a good thing. 

“See for yourself.” She nodded towards the entry to the kitchen then turned back to her conversation.

He made his way across the room, apologizing as he bumped into people, reached the entrance to the kitchen and looked around. There was Levi, pinned against the kitchen counter with a half circle of girls closing him in. Swarmed. 

Levi was looking between the girls like he was afraid of them, clearly desperate to escape the situation. Eren took in the image for a moment, it was actually kind of comical, and he couldn't help but laugh a little. Levi, intimidating badass who could take down a guy twice his size without even breaking a sweat, and here he was, helpless against a few girls just talking to him. He watched as the girls moved in a little closer, one of them reached out and started to lift his shirt up but he slapped her hand away. 

Okay, now that, Eren was not okay with that. He still thought it was kind of funny, but he needed to get in there and rescue Levi from the swarm. He crossed the kitchen and politely parted his way through the girls saying, “Sorry, excuse me ladies.”

Once he'd cleared his way through and was standing in front of Levi he could see the look of relief in his eyes. Eren wasted no time, leaned in and brought their lips together hard, one hand on the back of Levi's head, the other on his side. If he had been sober, he probably wouldn't have done it, would have been too afraid that Levi might get mad at such a public display. But drunk Eren was another story, he was going to make sure these girls knew Levi was his to touch. 

He deepened the kiss, made it dirty, slipped his tongue inside Levi's mouth. Levi didn't seem to have any problem with it, and in fact, he was responding just as aggressively. Eren got a little carried away by his enthusiastic return and pressed his hips into Levi's, drawing a low 'uh' from him. Then he remembered they were in the kitchen surrounded by a half dozen girls. He pulled away - not without giving the lip ring a nice suck at the end – and looked down at Levi, who was out of breath from the kiss.

“You've been gone forever. Come on.” He grabbed Levi's hand and pulled him through the sea of girls just as politely as he'd come, leaving them in a state of open-mouthed shock.

The one named Ruby broke their silent awe with a long sigh. “That was...the hottest thing I've ever seen. I just want him even more now.”

“You think they'll let us watch?” Claire raised her eyebrows hopefully.

“Claire!” She received a smack on the arm.

“What? Just sayin'...”

 

Eren led Levi away from the kitchen. He didn't really know where he was going, just somewhere without people. But there were people everywhere, so they actually ended up traveling up some stairs, down a hallway and around a corner where they stopped, finally alone. Eren let Levi's hand go and they faced each other.

“What the hell just happened?” Levi was looking a little dazed.

“You got swarmed.” Eren answered with a small smile.

“Swarmed?”

“Yeah, that's what Ymir called it. She told me you were in the kitchen 'getting swarmed'.”

“She knew about that shit and didn't do anything?”

“Yep.” Eren nodded.

“Bitch.” Levi muttered scowling to the floor, then he looked at his empty hands and back up. “Eren, sorry, I didn't get you a drink.”

Eren laughed. “It's okay, I'm pretty drunk already.”

“Yeah me too.” He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. “...shit...Eren, they kept giving me shots, and I drank them for some reason!” He felt like he could actually feel the vodka snaking through his veins out to his arms and up the back of his neck, and his lips had that tingling nub feeling, so he licked them. “They were like fucking Sirens, I kept trying to leave but they were multiplying and trapping me in.”

Eren was smiling and laughing. Those shots were certainly hitting Levi, making him a little more talkative than usual, softening his features to an almost innocent appearance, and Eren was loving it. The fact that Levi's voice was a little hoarse from overexerting it during the show just added to the cuteness. Of course him and Levi had drank together, but the closest they'd ever gotten to drunk was that first night they'd kissed at Rose Cafe, and even then they'd been more buzzed than drunk. 

“Thank god you got me out of there. They were starting to say some really weird shit. And that one girl tried to take my shirt off!” 

“I saw that. That's when I came over. You're not mad that I kissed you in front of them are you?”

“No.” He shook his head and his lips quirked. “That was fucking hot. You still mad I beat you in beer-pong?”

“Uh...yeah.” But Eren's smile said otherwise. 

There was just a moment, a single beat of locked eyes swimming with desire, and then they were all over each other. Slamming into the wall, hands grasping and pulling each other in tight. Their mouths came together like kissing was the new way to breath and they were dying for air. There was no slow build, just heat like fire spreading over them. 

Eren had Levi against the wall, hand in his hair, tongue licking inside his mouth. He cracked his eyes a slit and saw a door just to their left. Without separating, he used one hand to guide Levi towards it. The other hand felt it's way clumsily across the wall until he touched the metal doorknob and turned it. They stumbled into a dark room and finally broke apart to look around. 

They were both breathing heavily. It was too dark to see much, but it was obvious no one was in the room. Eren closed the door, locked it, and then picked up right where they'd left off, roughly pinning Levi against the door now. 

Their lack of sight and the way the alcohol numbed all the nagging worries that lived in the back of their brains seemed to intensify each movement. 

Levi's heart was beating so hard with the way Eren grasped his waist, rough hands on the soft skin under his shirt, and Eren's mouth pressed to his own, all hot breath and wet lips. His head was swimming with pure lust. He broke the kiss to gasp for some air, and Eren's lips just started sucking their way down his neck, sending a shiver over his skin.

“God...Eren...if we had some lube...I might actually let you fuck me right now.”

“Hnnnnn.” Eren moaned a slight whine against Levi's neck, then panted, “That's okay, cuz I just…can't get enough… of the way you taste.” 

And then Eren was lowering himself, fingers dragging over Levi's chest until they were on the waist of his jeans, unbuttoning, unzipping. He felt Eren's mouth on him then, kisses hot over the fabric of his boxer-briefs, the sensation making him light-headed. 

Eren slipped his fingertips under both layers of fabric and slid them down, giving him access to Levi's growing erection. He wrapped a hand around the base and teased at the tip with small kisses and light flicks of his tongue, drawing ragged breaths from Levi's parted lips. Then he wet his lips and took as much of Levi as he could into his mouth, wrapping his tongue around the sides, reveling in how hard the man was.

“Oh fuck.” Levi breathed out and threw his head back against the door, chest heaving. His right hand rested on Eren's hair, his left he brought up to thread through his own hair, brushing black strands back from his face. Eren's hand and mouth were working him like sucking dick was his favorite thing in the world, and well, maybe it was. He couldn't help the soft moans that broke from his lips, didn't even realize he was making half of them. He kept getting caught up in the long licks and sucks, forgetting to breath, and started to feel like he was going to pass out. He opened his eyes for some clarity, pupils struggling to focus in the darkness, and took some deeps breaths. 

Eren slid off for a moment and looked up. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Levi breathed. “Just got light-headed, thought I might pass out for a second.”

Eren smirked at him. “That good huh?”

Levi let out a dark chuckle. “Yeah brat, that good.”

Then he inhaled sharply as Eren's lips slid back over him and once again he was engulfed in the soft heat of Eren's mouth. The rational part of his brain was telling him that it was ridiculous for them to be hiding in a dark room like a couple of teenagers. Maybe they should stop and just head back to his apartment, pick up where they left off. But the drunk part of his brain was telling the rational part to shut the hell up and enjoy it, and considering that the drunk part was currently in charge, he just tipped his head back and got lost in the ecstasy again. 

Eren started sucking harder, moving his hand in rhythm with his mouth, and Levi had to bite his lip to keep his moans back. He may be drunk, but he had enough sense to know that they were still in a house full of people.

Levi was close and Eren loved hearing how he struggled to keep his carnal noises quiet, turning them into shaky exhales and soft whimpers. He really couldn't get enough of this, Levi's length in his mouth, the way he tasted and smelled, but most of all the way that the man just unraveled at his hands. The more he learned about Levi the more he thought the man just deserved love and pleasure to make-up for the pain of his past, and Eren was more than happy to give him as much pleasure as he could handle. 

“Eren...I...I'm gonna come.” His voice was a strained whisper. 

His hand involuntarily clutched tighter at Eren's brown strands as his body trembled with sweet release, cock pulsing warm liquid into Eren's mouth, over his tongue. He grit his teeth to keep from moaning too loud, basking in the euphoria that settled like hot snowflakes falling all along his nerves, melding with the alcohol to form something akin to being high. 

Eren slid off him then and stood up, licking his lips and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. They caught their breath for a moment, Levi sliding his clothing back up, tucking his spent length away, re-zipping and buttoning his pants. Then Eren leaned in and pressed his lips to Levi's, soft and slow. It was a long, languid kiss, tasting of sex, that had Levi humming his appreciation for the bliss Eren had just gifted him. 

They may have gotten lost in each other again, but a sharp jerk of the doorknob had them quickly pulling apart. Then there was a knock. 

“Shit.” Levi whispered.

“What do we do?” Eren whispered back.

“Open it I guess.” Levi sighed, turned and opened the door to reveal Bertholt standing in the hall. 

He took in the sight of them, all tousled hair and blushing lips, and narrowed his eyes. “Did you guys fuck on my bed?”

“No. Of course not.” Levi almost sounded offended, but the vodka was evident in his voice making it less convincing. 

“You sure?” Bert was looking between them.

“We didn't touch your bed.” Eren assured. “Promise. We were just...uh...we were...” He was trying to come up with an innocent excuse, but couldn't think of anything. 

“Eren was just giving me the best head of my life.” Levi said bluntly, face placid aside from a shadow of a smirk. 

“Levi!” Eren whined and covered his face, blushing hard. 

“Oh my god.” Bertholt groaned and looked at the floor. “I don't want to know.”

Levi just laughed darkly, amused by the situation, then muttered, “Fuck I'm so drunk right now.” That was the last thing he remembered from the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm no beer pong expert, so if I got something wrong, just pretend like I didn't. 
> 
> Also, I've been bingeing on 90s alternative music lately and 'I Want You' and 'The Background' by Third Eye Blind were kind of my theme songs while writing the smutty part of this chapter. Give them a listen if you feel so inclined.


	25. Jack Off Material

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Yup, I'm still here, still writing, albeit slowly. Was being mopey, uninspired, and overly self-critical for a while there, but eventually pushed myself to just write anyway. Finally finished the chapter last week, was feeling pretty good, was going to proofread and post it the next day. But then I got home from work and found my precious kitty in the most heartbreaking state ever, rushed him to the vet, but I ended up losing my little guy to heart problems. So it's back to mopey. Sorry to start this out in such a depressing way. 
> 
> _Deep breath_ Well! Here's a new chapter. I pushed their dynamic a little, and I always get nervous when I do that, worry about it coming off as a little too forced. Hopefully that's not the case. Let me know what you think about it.

Levi's eyes snapped open and he bolted into an upright position, blanket falling away from his chest. “Shit where I am?”

“It's okay.” Eren groaned from somewhere. “You're inside of a fort in your living room.”

Levi blinked a little, eyes fuzzy, still half asleep, and sighed in relief. “Thank god.” He lay back down and lazily pulled at the blanket to recover himself. 

There was a moment and then his eyes opened again, focusing on a ceiling of blanket. “Why is there a fort in my living room?”

“Because we built one remember?”

A tan arm emerged from a pile of blankets and wrapped itself around Levi's chest pulling him closer. 

“Would I be asking if I remembered?”

“Well...what's the last thing you remember then?” Just the top or Eren's head poked out of the blankets, wild brown hair and blinking green eyes. 

“Uh...” Levi's eyes were closed, a hand had come up to rub at his forehead in thought. “Coming out of Bert's room at the party.”

Eren laughed. “Okay, well… right after that you called us a Lyft back to your apartment. We made-out in the backseat the whole way here...”

“Nooo.” Levi groaned.

“Yep.” Eren nodded and slid in closer. “But you tipped the driver a twenty and apologized for our 'lack of fucking manners', your words.”

“God.”

“So, we came up here and I begged you to read more scary stories, but I wanted to build a fort first because I thought it would be scarier inside of a fort. We were moving stuff around to build it, but when you moved the armchair you were convinced that there were some crumbs underneath, and we got into like a ten minute argument about whether or not there were actually any crumbs. _There weren't_.” Eren gave Levi a pointed look before continuing.

“But, you kept insisting on vacuuming the rug. Eventually I persuaded you to put the vacuum away though because it would piss your neighbors off if you turned it on at two in the morning.” 

Eren paused for a moment and looked to Levi to see if he had some sort of response.

He was quiet for a moment, processing what Eren had said, and then his sleepy eyes slid over to meet Eren's, one eyebrow slightly quirked. “So the crumbs are still there?”

Eren let out an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes, giving the man a lazy shove. “There. Aren't. Any. Crumbs!”

“Oi brat, not so loud.” Levi hissed.

“Sorry.” Eren lowered his voice, and then whispered in Levi's ear. “But there aren't any crumbs.”

“I'll be the judge of that.” Levi smirked. “So we built a fort, then what?”

“Well, once the fort was built we realized that both of us were way too drunk to actually read something, so we decided to watch a scary movie instead and just picked a random one on Netflix. But, you kept making me laugh by commenting on how stupid all the characters were being and so it ended up being more of a comedy. Then, I guess we just fell asleep in the fort.” 

“Mm.” Levi sighed and closed his eyes again. “I feel like I got eaten by a T-Rex, shit out, and then run over by a train.”

“That's pretty shitty.”

“Precisely.”

“Well if it makes you feel any better, I feel like I got punched in the stomach, spit on, dropped on the floor, then eaten by a...an armadillo-”

“Armadillo?” Levi peaked one eye open at him.

“Yeah armadillo.”

“Guess that would be a slow, painful death...” Levi considered.

“Then shit out and run over by a really rich guy in a Ferrari.”

“How would that make me feel any better?” Levi squinted both eyes at him now.

“Cuz we can be run-over shits together.” Eren shrugged a little and quirked a half-smile. 

Levi snorted a laugh and rolled his eyes. 

Eren wiggled in closer to the older man and nuzzled his face into Levi's neck, and despite the pounding head-aches they both had, they were comfortable enough to almost fall back asleep. Just before it enveloped them though, Levi remembered it was Monday. 

“Ah fuck.” He groaned.

“What?”

“It's Monday, we both have work. What time is it?”

Eren let out his own mournful sound at the realization and then grasped around for his phone, which was somewhere under the blankets. “Uh,” he unlocked it and blinked at the bright screen. “Noon.”

Levi was quiet for a moment, then said, “Okay, here's my plan; water, ibuprofen, shower, breakfast sandwiches from Aberrant down the street. What do you think?”

“Sounds great.”

“Wait, scratch that. Crumbs and fort get cleaned up first, then all that other shit I said.”

“There aren't any crumbs!”

 

The shower and breakfast rejuvenated them, and they parted ways for work feeling slightly better. 

While Levi was taking a quick break about halfway through his shift a fuzzy memory flashed it's way into his mind. He immediately pulled out his phone and opened the photo gallery. The last photo taken was a selfie of him and Eren inside the fort, obviously taken by the brunette to Levi's chagrin. They both looked drunk as all hell, Eren squinting a stupid grin and Levi glaring and flipping off the camera. 

He stared at the photo for a long minute. God, they really looked like shit. His thumb moved to the delete button, hovered there for a moment, then instead of pushing 'delete' he opened up a new text to Eren. 

Levi - “If you value your life you will delete those pictures in your phone.”

Eren - “Damnit. I was hoping you wouldn't remember that.”

Levi - “I would've found the picture in my phone eventually...”

Eren - “Oh yeah, forgot I took that one. Ha ha.”

Levi - “Delete, or else...”

Eren - “Or else what…?”

Levi - “Or else I'll make sure you actually get slowly and painfully devoured by an armadillo.”

Eren - “No fair. I don't have any other pictures of you.”

Levi - “You don't need any pictures of me.”

Eren - “Well what else am I supposed to jack off to?”

Levi snorted a laugh at that.

Levi - “Horny brat.”

Eren - “You like it.”

Levi - “Maybe a little. I've gotta get back, I'll talk to you later k.”

Eren - “Mmkay old man.”

 

Eren brought up the picture of him and Levi that he'd taken the night before. He wore a big cheesy grin, green eyes looking out through the picture. Levi, however, was giving him what could be described as an affectionate sideways glare, a slight quirk to his lips. It was perfect, no way was he going to delete it. He'd just have to risk getting eaten alive by an armadillo.

 

The entirety of Sina was reserved on Tuesday night for a massive event hosted by a company called Xericom. Open bar. Needless to say, they had their hands full and then some. When what Levi had dubbed as 'corporate hell' was finally over; the bar clean, Petra and Oruo clocked-out, money locked away, Erwin invited him to stay for a drink again. He was so wound-up and annoyed by the night that he decided he could use a minute to relax before heading home. 

He opted for a single glass of red wine.

Erwin had a martini again. 

Erwin asked how the bike was working out. Levi responded that he appreciated it and that he considered it on loan until he could officially purchase it from him. The blonde man laughed and said, “That really isn't necessary.” Levi insisted he would be paying for the bike. Erwin dismissed the conversation with another laugh and shake of his head, then began idly chatting about a new night club he was hoping to open within a couple years. 

Levi stayed only as long as it took to finish his wine, then saw himself out the backdoor with a nod as Erwin said, “See you tomorrow.”

 

When Levi woke on Wednesday morning he found himself with an overwhelming craving. A craving for bright green eyes, and a smile that made his heart skip a beat whenever he saw it. He tried to shake the feeling. It was only Wednesday. They'd spent the whole weekend together, as well as Monday afternoon. Certainly he could handle a couple days without the brat. Hell, he'd lasted his whole life without Eren up until six, seven?, months ago.

He went for a run, showered, finally picked up some basic groceries, but throughout all of it he just couldn't get Eren off his mind. He even pulled up the picture he'd avoided deleting. God, he was really becoming pathetic. He decided he'd leave for work early, stop by Rose Cafe on his way in.

 

It was a little after five and Eren and Jean were just starting their shift. It was slow at the moment and the two of them were in the kitchen, standing on the same side of the prep table.

“What the hell are you making?” Eren quirked an eyebrow at the strange ingredients in front of Jean.

“Dude, it's the best. Toasted bagel, grape jelly, and pickle slices.” He placed the last slice of pickle onto the purple spread and lifted it to his mouth to take a crispy bite, crumbs tumbling onto the prep table.

“That...sounds disgusting.”

“Well, it's not, it's delicious.” Jean replied through his mouthful.

“How can grape jelly and pickles be delicious together? You're insane.”

“I dunno, it just is. Don't believe me? Try a bite.” Jean shoved the bagel in Eren's face.

He flinched away in disgust. “I'm not trying that. Keep your gross food to yourself.”

“Oh come on, don't be a baby. Just try one bite. You'll like it. Trust me.”

“No. Get that abomination out of my face.” Eren gave Jean a little shove away from him.

“Just one bite Jaeger. You can't judge it until you try it!” He moved the bagel back towards Eren, who tried to move away again, but Jean grabbed his shoulder to keep him from moving. 

“I'll judge it all I want. I'm not eating that!” 

Eren pushed at Jean again, which started something of a small wrestling fight, Jean hooking Eren around the neck with his free arm. Bagel coming closer and closer to Eren's mouth.

“A single bite!” 

“No!”

Then Jean started talking to Eren like he was a toddler refusing his dinner, which made Eren start laughing while he still struggled to get out of Jean's choke-hold. 

“Eat it, come on, one bite, you can do it.”

“Stop.” Eren laughed, turning his face away. “You eat it!”

They were both laughing now as Jean kept inching the bagel closer and closer, while Eren squirmed in his grasp.

“I am, but you have to try at least one bite! Come on Jaeger, stop being such a stubborn ass!”

“Watch your fucking language.” A deep voice came from the doorway to the kitchen, making them both jump.

Jean whipped his head to see a short but very intimidating looking man standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the back room. “Sorry sir.” The words slipped out before he even realized what he was saying. “Wait...who are you?”

“Levi? What are you doing here?” Eren's face brightened at the sight of him.

Levi sauntered into the kitchen, eyeballing Jean. “I miss my espresso. Thought I'd stop in for a drink on my way to Sina.”

“Americano race?” Eren smiled.

Levi finally took his cold eyes off of Jean and looked to Eren with a slight smirk and a nod.

“What's an americano race?” Jean asked looking between the two of them.

“A two-player game.” Levi responded before Eren could say anything. 

“Oh.” Jean looked a little dejected and took solace in another munch of his monstrosity. 

“I'll go make them!” Eren pushed into the front excitedly, leaving Levi and Jean in the kitchen.

Levi watched, arms folded, crease between his brows, as Jean continued to awkwardly munch the bagel down, avoiding eye contact. After popping the last morsel into his mouth, Jean brushed his fingers together, slid one hand across the table, swiping all the bagel crumbs onto the floor, then wiped his hands on his pants. Jean seemed to forget about the crumbs as soon as they hit the floor. Levi raised an eyebrow incredulously. 

He knew this place wasn't his responsibility anymore, but he couldn't take it.

“Sweep that shit up.”

Jean looked down at the mess he'd made and back up to Levi's scowl.

“Right now.”

“Okay, sorry.” Jean raised his hands in a way that said 'please don't kill me', walked to the broom and started sweeping just as Eren pushed through the swinging door holding two americanos. 

Levi won, as usual, and as usual, Eren threw a miniature fit claiming that one day he would 'rise again victorious!'. Levi snorted and rolled his eyes.

Jean looked at their empty glasses with a confused expression, broom still in hand. “...I don't see how that's a two-player game.”

Eren stifled a laugh. 

“You have a customer. Go do your job.” Levi looked at Jean and then nodded to the tiny window in the swinging door. 

Jean looked up to indeed see a girl waiting at the counter. “Oh shit.” he muttered, set the broom aside, and pushed into the front. 

As soon as Jean was out of the room, Levi grabbed Eren by the waist and pulled him in close. He pressed a kiss to the brunette's neck, tongue and lips sucking gently at his skin, followed by a small bite, while one hand slipped something into Eren's pocket. Then he brought his lips next to Eren's ear and in a low voice whispered, “I want you on my bed when I get home.”

An electric charge shot straight to Eren's groin and he gulped. “Okay.” A smile spread across his lips as his hand felt at the key in his pocket.

Levi looked him in the eye then. “Don't lose that key brat. And wipe that look off your face. You don't get to keep it.” He turned and started towards the back door.

Eren's smile fell a little at Levi's last sentence, but then the raven-haired man glanced over his shoulder and added, “Not yet anyway.”

The smile returned. “Okay, see you after work.” he called to Levi's back as he stepped out the door and closed it behind him.

Jean returned to the kitchen just in time to see that Levi had left. He glared at the door. “That's Levi?”

“Mhm.” Eren was in that state of smitten again. 

“Man, can't believe you had to work with him for half a year. What an asshole.”

“Yeah.” Eren sighed. “Total asshole.” Then he realized what Jean had just said and turned to him with a glare. “Hey, watch your mouth.”

“What?!” Jean threw his hands out at his language being criticized twice now in the last fifteen minutes. “Since when?”

“Since it's rude to call people names, dumbass.” Eren said matter-of-fact.

“But you just..!” Jean had a look of utter confusion on his face, then just shook his head and muttered, “No wonder you lasted six months with that guy, you're both crazy.” 

 

The anticipation simultaneously made the night go slower and faster for the both of them. Eren was in a hurry to get the shop closed up once midnight hit, he wanted to be able to get home and clean up a bit before heading to Levi's.

“Jeez Jaeger, what's the rush?” Jean complained when Eren told him to 'sweep faster'.

“Nothing.” He casually shrugged. “Just don't want to be here anymore.”

 

If the anticipation had been killing Eren, it was even worse for Levi. Once one-o-clock rolled around all he could think about was the probability that Eren was on his bed right then, waiting. Levi refused to cut corners with cleaning however, and he painstakingly wiped down every table in the lobby with the patience of a saint.

When he was out back tossing the trash into the dumpster, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

He peeled the plastic gloves from his hands, tossed them in on top of the bags he'd just thrown in and pulled out his phone. 

A new message from Eren.

He opened it and what he saw made his breath catch in a way that had him choking on his saliva, sending him into a momentary coughing fit. He was glad he was out back by himself. 

It was a picture of Eren, on his satin sheets, taken from the brunette's point of view. Tan skin exposed, spanning from taut nipples and lean stomach muscles, down to the only article of clothing he was wearing. The black thong; fabric stretched snug over Eren's endowments. The text accompanying the photo simply said: “Ready for you.”

“Fuck me.” Levi muttered, finally recovering from his coughing fit.

He quickly typed out a response: “You certainly provide much better jack off material than I do. I'll be there soon.”

He took a moment to collect himself, then headed back inside. Luckily the only thing left to do was lock up the register. He made quick work of it, handed the money off to Erwin, then clocked out while the man locked it in the safe. Erwin returned to the room. “You look like you're in a hurry to leave. Was the shift that bad?” He joked.

Levi was busy collecting his things. “No, there's just something I have to take care of.” Then he was on his way out.

“Have a good night Levi.” Erwin called to his back.

Levi lifted a hand in acknowledgment. “Yeah, 'night.”

 

Finally he was walking through his door. He slipped his shoes off and set his things aside. The key he had given to Eren sat on the kitchen counter. Dim red light drifted from his bedroom down the hallway. He didn't bother turning on any other lights, just walked towards his room. 

There was Eren, waiting for him, looking even better than the picture he'd sent. He seemed to be zoning out, staring at the ceiling, hadn't noticed he was no longer alone. 

“Mmmmmm.” Levi visually devoured the brunette.

The sound caught Eren's attention and he turned his head to see Levi leaning against the door frame. Eren's mouth dropped open. “Oh my god.” he whispered, sitting up a little.

“What?” Levi quirked a brow. 

“You're wearing a suit.”

“Oh right.” Levi looked down at his attire. “It's the dress code at Sina, I usually change into it when I get there.”

“How do you just keep getting sexier?” It was said softly, almost as if Eren was just saying it to himself. Then his cock twitched beneath the black fabric of the thong. Levi blinked to it with a smirk.

“Stay right there. I'll only be a minute.” Levi turned and headed to the bathroom.

“Keep the suit on, I want to take it off of you.” Eren called out the door, then added, “Please.”

He just heard Levi's dark chuckle from the hallway and the door to the bathroom close. 

Levi returned to the room a couple minutes later, suit still on, and climbed onto the bed and then onto Eren, one knee on either side of the brunette's hips, but not close enough to touch. Eren pushed himself up so they were now face-to-face, and licked his lips as his eyes traveled over Levi's beauty. 

They were still for a moment, just taking each other in. 

The anticipation of the last eight hours seemed to have solidified into an invisible barrier that hadn't been broken yet, a silent game between them to see who would make contact first. Eren looked like he was dying to make a move, but Levi's eyes were daring him to break first, and of course, Eren's obstinacy would not allow that. 

Finally, Levi's lips curved and he placed his right hand on Eren's bare stomach, fingertips overlapping the black waistband. “So patient.” He purred and started trailing his hand up over Eren's chest. 

“Only for you.” Eren gasped at the touch and let out a long shaky breath, like he'd been holding it in along with his self-control. He leaned into the touch, and then Levi's other hand caressed over his collar bone and to the back of his neck, guiding him in for a kiss. 

As soon as those delicious lips were against his own, Levi began teasing Eren's mouth with little flicks of his tongue and gentle rakes of his teeth across Eren's bottom lip. It seemed to overwhelm the brunette as he was faltering in the kiss, letting Levi take complete control of it, which the raven-haired man didn't mind in the least. There was something immensely satisfying about Eren becoming so helpless against his touch. 

He relaxed his legs a little, let his knees slide out so his hips came down to meet Erens. He could feel Eren's ardor beneath the layers of fabric between them and ground into him. 

“Uhhhhhn.” Eren whined, breaking the kiss, both hands coming up to grasp at Levi's waist. 

“Undress me.” Levi commanded, his lips close enough for the metal hoop to brush across Eren's bottom lip with the words. 

Whenever Levi spoke to him like that it stoked the coals of desire that smoldered deep in Eren's gut, and all he wanted to do was please the other man. He would do anything Levi asked if it was said in that assertive tone. Who was he kidding, he'd probably do anything Levi asked in any tone. 

“Yes Sir.” Eren breathed.

Levi pulled back to give Eren a slight look of surprise, irises just a thin silver ring around dilated pupils. 

Eren blushed and looked away. “Sorry, was that weird?”

Levi slowly shook his head. “Not at all.”

Levi's voice was low and thick, causing Eren to glance back at those lust-filled eyes, and he realized that his compliance was not only not weird to Levi, but had instead heightened the man's intensity. He was more than relieved, because when that word slipped from his mouth it had felt so right.

He got to work undressing Levi, but drew it out, wanted to savor each revelation as much as possible. He started by sliding his hands up over Levi's chest to his tie where his fingers undid the knot and then slipped it from underneath the collar of his shirt. Then his fingertips traced the 'v' of the formal vest he was wearing into the center of Levi's chest. Eren undid each button and then slid the vest over Levi's shoulders and tossed it to the side. 

The black collared shirt was next, and as soon as Eren had undone the top two buttons, displaying the perfect porcelain of Levi's throat and collar bones, he couldn't help but bring his mouth close to taste at the dip there. As he kissed and sucked, his fingers continued their path down the shirt, undoing each button. 

Levi let out a low moan at the ministrations on his neck, head tilting back and to the side to give Eren more room, black lashes flitting closed, casting feathery shadows.

Eren breathed in Levi's scent through his nose as his mouth continued to lavish at smooth skin, and he found himself thinking he was glad that Levi didn't get a chance to shower beforehand, though Levi likely wished he'd been able to. Eren loved the way Levi smelled and tasted like this; cologne faded in with the natural scent of his skin, a little musky and warm like glowing amber, and then there was a tinge of the day's exertions, manifested in the slightest bit a saltiness left behind by daily perspiration. It was heaven to Eren, incredibly comfortable and undeniably arousing. He drew his tongue across the curve where neck meets shoulder and moaned at the flavor. 

His hands finished with the last button, Levi's bare chest and stomach now visible underneath. Eren leaned back a little to take in the site, slipped his hands under the fabric and drew them up over Levi's ribs and pecs. Then he slowly slid the shirt off Levi's toned shoulders while blinking over his countenance.

Eren was taking his time, going almost painfully slow, but it made Levi's pulse quicken. He struggled to keep his breathing even as Eren removed his shirt, drinking him in with those emerald eyes. A quick flick of Eren's tongue over his bottom lip brought Levi's attention back to the brunette's enticing mouth. As soon as the shirt was shrugged to the side, Levi thread both his hands through Eren's hair, bringing their lips together.

Levi's patience was nearly expended at the drawn out removal of his clothing. His kiss was rough and highly sexual, tongue licking into Eren's mouth, lips bruising with their pressure. He rolled his hips into Eren again. 

Those coals in Eren's gut ignited into a fiery whirlwind, swirled up into his chest, making his breath catch. He was done being slow. His hands ran down Levi's sides and straight to the belt around his waist, unbuckling it somewhat clumsily. Next was the button and the zipper, his hands faltering because of how overwhelming Levi's kiss was. As soon as the zipper was down, Eren's hand was feeling inside, palming over Levi's solid length.

A small gasp broke from the older man's throat as he pulled away from the kiss. 

“Lie back.”

Eren did as he was told. 

Levi removed himself from the bed, then removed the rest of his clothes. His gaze raked over Eren's body with hooded lids, breaths coming in heavy.

“Take the thong off.”

Eren's fingers tucked under the band at his waist and he lifted his hips up to slide it down over his thighs and then off. He tossed it with their other clothes. It was his eyes now that were traveling over Levi's cut form, lingering on the impressive 'V' of muscles that were like a road-map straight to his…  
Eren's swallowed hard and his cock twitched again. 

Levi retrieved a towel from the bathroom and the lube from the nightstand, then moved back to the bed. 

“Turn over, on your hands and knees.”

Eren only hesitated for a moment, then breathed, “Yes sir.”

He'd been with Levi in this vulnerable position once before, but he had been blindfolded and bound then. Somehow with neither one of those things to hide behind he felt nervous and exposed. But then Levi's rough hands were on him, gentle, caressing over Eren's hips and up his sides and back. 

“God, you're fucking perfect.” Levi admired from behind, voice quiet and gravelly. “What do you want Eren? Tell me what you want me to do to you. Exactly what you want.”

Eren's heart started pounding harder and he tried to gather his words. “I-I want you to...” He blushed at the words he was about the say. “...finger me...then...fuck me while you...jack me off.” He blushed harder.

“Mmmm.” Levi moaned with a smirk. “Such a filthy mouth.”

That made Eren smile and he cheekily replied, “It's from hanging around you so much.”

The smack of skin on skin echoed off the walls in the room as Levi's open palm slapped down on Eren's right ass cheek hard, but not nearly as hard as it could've been.

“Watch it brat.”

Eren let out a gasp at the slap followed closely by a groan he couldn't control. 

Levi hummed in approval of Eren's obvious enjoyment of a little bit of pain. Then his left hand snaked around to Eren's front and encircled his aching shaft, sliding all the way to the head where his fingertip brushed a drop of pre-cum leaking from Eren's slit. He brought the finger to his lips and lewdly licked up the droplet, eyes on the brunette, who was watching over his shoulder with parted lips. 

Levi snapped the bottle of lube open and coated his fingers, then those fingers were on Eren, massaging that tight ring of muscle. He didn't wait long before he slipped one all the way inside in one swift motion. He pumped it in and out for a few a seconds while Eren gasped for air, dropping his head low in a way that accentuated his shoulder blades. A moment later Levi pulled his finger out and pushed back in with two fingers. Eren cried out softly and his right hand clutched at the sheets. 

Levi bent in a little closer then and spoke low. “I'm going to be a bit rougher than I have before. Think you can handle it?”

Eren's voice had left him so he just nodded. 

“Speak up.” Levi growled and slapped Eren's ass again with his free hand, harder this time. 

“Y-yes Sir.” The words spilled out, a little strained from the slap. 

“Mmmm, that's better.” And he curled his fingers into that sensitive spot, making Eren writhe.

Eren moaned and clutched tighter at the sheets. 

The dynamic of their sexual relationship had, piece by piece, been building up to something a little kinkier, a little more dominant on Levi's side and little more submissive on Eren's side. Eren could tell from the start that Levi was just naturally dominant when it came to sex, well, when it came to anything really. He could also tell that Levi had been holding it back some. Eren figured it was because of his inexperience, and though he appreciated it, he had also been craving more with each step they took. He was glad Levi finally felt comfortable enough with him to push further with his kinky tendencies. 

Levi toyed with Eren's ass for a long time, raked his fingernails down his back, tormented the brunette's senses. He pumped his fingers lewdly, teasing Eren's prostate, leaving his desperate erection untouched, until Eren was almost collapsing on the bed, obscene noises filling the room. 

“Levi...please...” He whined. 

“Please what?” Levi's voice was terse, his fingers still driving Eren crazy.

“fu...fuck me...please...”

“Is that all?” He smirked.

“n-no...touch me...” Eren sounded so desperate it was sinful. “...I need your hand on my cock...please...Levi...I can't take it anymore.”

“Took you long enough to ask, stubborn brat.”

Levi pulled his fingers out, gave Eren's ass another swift slap, then coated first Eren's and then his own hard-on with lube. He grabbed Eren's hip with his clean hand, pressed the head of his dick to Eren's tight hole, and then pushed inside in one motion.

Eren cried out in way that had Levi worrying for a second, but Eren immediately followed it with a breathy, “I'm good.”

With that Levi wrapped his slick hand around Eren's member and started pumping it in rhythm with his own aggressive thrusts, thumbing over his swollen head. His other hand grasped tightly at Eren's hip, but eventually slid it's way up Eren's back, over his neck, and then made a fist in his brown locks, pulling his head back sharply. Eren let out a debauched moan at the newfound pain, pain that somehow sent pleasure shooting out from his scalp, tingling it's way down his neck and over his shoulders. 

“You like it rough like this?” Levi's voice was sex incarnate. It was dirty talk, but it was also a real question.

“Yes Sir. Fuck...” Eren panted, his cognitive abilities quickly evaporating. He'd never experienced such surrender and pain mixed with pleasure during sex. He'd always been intrigued by the idea, and now he knew firsthand just how much he liked it. 

“Good.” He purred. The word was a positive response to Eren's answer, but it also served as praise. 

Levi's thrusts intensified, his merciless hands on Eren, one pulling at his hair, the other pulling at his shaft. Eren was an absolute mess; eyes rolled back, lids fluttering with pleasure, his mouth spilling incoherencies. 

Levi wasn't too far off from a mess himself. He wasn't holding back anymore, the delayed gratification of the night finally approaching with an intensity that made it hard to think, to speak. His body was hot and flushed with the physical exertion of pumping in and out of Eren, skin glistening in the red lamp light. 

He leaned as close to Eren's ear as he could get without interrupting his pace, and with teeth bared savagely growled, “Come for me Eren.”

That gruff command, which pierced through Eren's wanton daze, had to have been the sexiest thing he'd ever heard. Levi, demanding that he come, just for him. He couldn't stop the climax that shook him if his life depended on it. Levi slammed into him as he came hard across slender fingers and onto the towel below, choking out sounds of ecstasy.

As soon as Eren's length was spent, Levi released him and dug both hands into the brunette's hips, fucking him hard, seeking his own release. It didn't take long before he was throwing his head back, moaning through the teeth that brutally bit at his bottom lip, muscles convulsing with rapture, fingernails digging into Eren's tender flesh. His breathing hitched along with the last few spasms of pleasure, so that when they'd passed he was drawing in a gasp for air. 

His brain was fuzzy with euphoria. He relaxed his grip on Eren, gently pulled out and sat back on his knees. He let his head fall further back, sexed hair falling with it as his naked chest heaved.

“God, I should have started fucking you six months ago.”

“Well, why didn't you?” Eren breathed out with an exhausted smile, turning around to face the older man, leaning back on his knees as well.

Levi lowered his head back to look at Eren. “I didn't know you'd end up being a somewhat tolerable human being.” He wore his signature placid expression, though it was admittedly a disheveled version of it. 

“Gee, thanks.” Eren replied sarcastically, raising his eyebrows. But he knew Levi was kidding with him. 

Eren's sarcastic expression paired with the way his hair was all mussed-up was so adorable that Levi began to understand the reasoning behind the way Eren had tackled him with nuzzles and kisses that one morning. He almost cracked, almost. 

“You're welcome.” Only the slightest quirk curved one side of his mouth.

Then Levi leaned forward to meet Eren with a kiss. Eren leaned into it, their lips meeting, slightly sticky with thirst. There was no tongue or teeth, just lips on lips, pressed firmly together, moving gently to garner some extra sensation from the friction. It was the kind of kiss that made your heart swell, stirred something inside, like flower petals tumbling in a warm breeze. 

When they pulled apart, Levi met Eren's eyes, and the quirk to his mouth now was more genuine than mischievous. “Okay,” he said softly and half rolled his eyes to himself. “maybe a little more than just somewhat tolerable.”

 

In the morning Eren woke before Levi. He snooped in the kitchen a little and discovered that the man had finally picked up some groceries. He made french toast.

When he went to wake Levi up he was obviously having a nightmare. Stirring in his sleep with a look of pain on his face. Eren debated what to do. He ended up softly running his hand over Levi's hair and whispering, “Hey, Levi wake up.”

Levi's eyes shot open and his hand snatched Eren's wrist, but other than that he was still. He blinked up at Eren and his face relaxed. He let Eren's wrist go. 

“Morning. I woke you up cuz I made french toast.”

He gave Eren a sleepy look of surprise, but his words were, “Who gave you permission to fuck around in my kitchen?”

Eren just shrugged and said, “Psh, you don't get any with that attitude. Guess I'll just eat them all myself.” And he turned to walk away. 

“Like hell you will.” 

Levi grabbed him by the arm before he could take a step and pulled him onto the bed for a quick snuggle before breakfast.


	26. Fuck Nature

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, another chapter! 
> 
> This one was emotionally and physically ;) taxing to write. There's some angst, there's some smut. I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> And of course, I love hearing your feedback, it makes you readers real, encourages me to write more and to write better.

Two weeks passed. 

They talked, texted, hung-out when they could. Eren went to another one of Levi's shows, but they skipped the after-party in favor of being alone together. Their relationship remained undetected by the people they worked with, and they preferred it that way. Armin joined them a couple times for lunch. Mikasa had no interest in seeing Levi again, at least not yet. The good news was that things were progressively getting less weird between Mikasa and Eren, and he had hope that eventually she'd come around, maybe even grow to like Levi one day, or at the very least respect him. 

The boys spent most of their time together at Levi's apartment so that they could entertain their deviant desires without fear of permanently scarring Armin's ears or eyes. Armin did appreciate that, though he missed seeing Eren as often as he used to. The strength of their friendship, however, didn't suffer.

This weekend Levi and Eren weren't going to have the chance to see each other. 

Armin managed to score two discounted tickets with his student ID to see the Shiganshina Orchestra on Saturday. He was disappointed that he could only get the two tickets, he wanted Mikasa to come. She consoled him with the fact that her cast would be too bulky to squeeze into the seating anyway, to which he agreed. Armin wanted to make a day of it so the three of them played some games together, got dinner, and then Armin and Eren left to see the orchestra. 

It wasn't as boring as Eren thought it was going to be, and when it was over he actually ended up expressing to Armin just how impressive the show had been. Armin beamed. He loved when he could get Eren interested in something that he'd normally dub as 'nerdy'. He'd tried over and over to get Eren to enroll in some classes, knew that he'd end up liking it, but alas, Eren was resistant to the idea.

 

Sunday night.

The band didn't have a show this weekend, so they were taking the time to practice some new songs at Bert's instead. Eren had been curious about what one of their practices might be like, but Levi told him, “It's mostly a bunch of repetitive noise and arguing. You're not missing anything.” Eren still thought it sounded entertaining. 

He couldn't go though because he was having family dinner. 

Eren was at his dad's house. It was him, Mikasa, and Grisha. Most family dinners Armin would join them as well, but Armin's grandfather was living in a rest home, and was currently not doing so well. So when he could, Armin spent his Sunday nights playing card games with his grandfather, or reading to him, depending on his level of coherency. 

They'd just finished eating. 

Mikasa was in the dining room wiping off the table, awkwardly hopping about on her good leg. Eren and his father were in the kitchen standing side by side at the sink. They didn't have enough dishes to run a full cycle in the dishwasher, so they decided to just clean up by hand. Grisha was washing, Eren was drying. They were quiet, just doing their work. It should have been a comfortable silence, but it wasn't, not for Eren. He appeared normal enough on the surface, but on the inside his heart was pounding with anxiety. 

It was now. Now was the time to tell his father. 

It had been on his mind ever since Mikasa had first mentioned it, and she had brought it up again since. He didn't want to do it just because of that though, he honestly really hated keeping secrets from his family.

Eren hadn't planned on doing it tonight. His nerves had been pushing it away, telling him 'Another time, not now.', but the setting was too perfect. They'd just had a pleasant dinner, no arguments. It was just the two of them alone in the kitchen, and a whole lot of silence to fill. He was going to do it.

Eren took a deep breath.

“Hey Dad?”

“Yeah?”

Their hands kept working with the dishes. 

“Uh,” He gulped. “there's something I want to tell you.”

Grisha's movements didn't stop, but he did give Eren a sideways glance. “Alright. What is it?”

Eren took another deep breath, thought about chickening out, making up some sort of lie, but no. He was doing this.

“I'm attracted to men.” He spit the words out before they could get stuck inside of him. He could have said 'a man', or 'I have a boyfriend.', but somehow laying out a broader statement felt like the first step.

Grisha's hands stopped then and grabbed the curve of the sink in front of him. At that Eren stopped drying the plate in his hands and just held the towel and dish still.

“You what?” Grisha turned to look at him.

Having said it once already, he felt like he could say it again with more confidence this time. 

“I'm attracted to men.” His voice was quiet, didn't end up sounding as confident as he'd hoped.

Grisha gave him a long hard look, eyes boring through his glasses straight into Eren's head, like they were trying to access his mind. Then he finally spoke, the spectrum of his tone nowhere near kind and understanding. 

“Have you acted on these feelings?”

Eren felt stupid for not anticipating a question like that, and he found it embarrassing that his father was essentially asking if he'd had gay sex. They'd never even really talked about straight sex before, that was a conversation his mother had lovingly forced on him as a teenager.

He was sure his cheeks reddened when he answered with the single word, “Yeah.”

Grisha made a face, one of disgust, and looked to the side, away from Eren.

Being on the receiving end of such a look hurt, and Eren suddenly realized that this interaction may be headed in a vastly different direction than what he'd imagined or, rather, hoped. 

After a few seconds of silence Grisha spoke again. 

“You did the right thing telling me. I can't help you with your struggles if I don't know about them.” He laced his hands together, but still wouldn't look at Eren. “I'll make some calls first thing tomorrow. We can get you into therapy as soon as possible.”

“What?” Eren was astounded. “Therapy? I didn't...I'm not...struggling with anything. I only told you because I didn't want to keep it a secret from you anymore.”

Grisha finally looked back to Eren, a scowl on his face. It was obvious that he'd thought Eren's confession was a cry for help. Discovering that that was not actually the case seemed to flip a switch in him. His eyes hardened and his mouth became a firm line. 

“You're better than this Eren. Homosexuality is unnatural, not to mention disgusting.” Grisha nearly spat.

The immediate hostility in his father's voice caught him off-guard and Eren reflexively responded in-kind. “Maybe to you!” He roughly set the plate and towel on the kitchen counter. “It's feels perfectly natural to me. Better than natural!”

A look of realization mixed with the one of revulsion Grisha was wearing. “Eren, are you seeing a man? He's older than you isn't he?”

Eren was surprised that his father had guessed something like that, and the look on his face communicated what his lack of words did not.

“You need to stop. Whoever this person is, he's perverting your mind.” Grisha's voice was stern, the type a father used when he didn't want any backtalk. “We're going to get you help, get you to a professional. You may not think so now, but this is the best thing for you in the long run.”

Eren had no idea that his own father was such a homophobic bigot, and the insinuation that he had some sort of illness infuriated him. 

“I'm not sick!” He shouted, fists clenched at his sides. “There's nothing wrong with me! How are you like this?”

“Don't raise your voice at me Eren!” Grisha now looked more angry than anything. “I'm trying to help you!”

“I don't need any help! You're the one who needs help!”

Mikasa had made her way to the kitchen by now. She was helplessly looking between the two of them. Clearly she hadn't anticipated this kind of reaction from Grisha either.

Grisha's face twisted and he grabbed Eren roughly by the arm, jerking him forward. “You will not speak to your father that way!”

A look of surprise and fear crossed Eren's face. He'd had plenty of arguments with his dad, some of them pretty heated, but the man had never once laid a hand on him. He ripped his arm out of his father's hold and took a step back.

“Don't fucking touch me!” His voice was starting to tremble.

Grisha swiftly brought his hand up. 

Eren flinched. 

Grisha stopped his hand, clenched his jaw with restraint, lowered his hand and looked hard into Eren's defiant eyes. 

“I'm just glad your mother isn't alive to see you behaving this way, she would be so disappointed.”

Those words hurt worse than any slap ever could have. They stabbed right into Eren's chest like a blade, pushing the air from his lungs. His throat went tight and he could feel the burn in his eyes that promised tears. 

“Fuck you.” It was so quiet it was almost a whisper. 

Eren had never said something like that to his father before. Part of him was stunned by what he'd just said and the other part wanted to say it again, scream it, but the tightness in his throat had now cut off his voice entirely.

He turned away and headed out of the kitchen towards the front door, trying to maintain his composure long enough to get outside. 

As he passed Mikasa she reached a hand out and said his name. He pushed her hand away and shook his head. He knew it was unfair of him to blame her for his father's reaction. He had, after-all, wanted to do this for his own reasons, but he couldn't help but direct some of his anger towards her anyway.

He snatched his things up, and as he opened the front door he heard his father shout from the kitchen. 

“Don't expect me to welcome some frilly friend of yours here! I won't have that kind of perversion in my house!”

Eren stepped outside and slammed the door behind him. Something inside hit the floor with a thud and the sound of shattering glass. He knew immediately that is was the family photo that had been hanging on the wall next to the door. The last one they'd taken before his mom died. Hot tears finally spilled down his cheeks and he took off running down the sidewalk.

 

“Could you save the beer until we're done practicing?” Ymir raised her eyebrows at Donovan as he cracked open a can.

“What? We've been practicing for like three hours! And I'm not even doing anything right now. Levi and Bert have just been arguing about the bass line for like half an hour now.”

She just kept looking at him. 

“Geez, fine.” He set the beer down, but not without taking one quick sip that was in no way as sneaky as he wanted it to be.

“I think maybe I should go back to the minor key like in the beginning...” Bert adjusted his fingers on the neck of his bass.

“Yeah, that's what I've been trying to tell you.” Levi actually managed to maintain his patience fairly well during practices. If he didn't, they'd get nowhere. “It sounds better the way you were playing it before you started over-analyzing everything.” 

Levi's phone rang interrupting their discussion. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw that Eren was calling him. He answered.

“What's up brat?”

“Levi?”

The sound of Eren's voice immediately alerted him that something wasn't right. He walked out of the room. 

“Eren what's wrong?”

“I...” Eren sobbed.

“Shit. You told him didn't you?” Levi pinched his brow. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“No.” Eren sniffled. “I'm fine.”

“Where are you?”

“Ania Park.”

“Stay there. I'll be there soon okay?”

“'Kay.” 

Levi hung up and returned to the practice room. He gathered his things and simply said, “I'm leaving.”

 

He couldn't get to the park fast enough, each red light pissed him off more than the last, had him tapping his boot impatiently on the asphalt.

Levi didn't know much about Eren's father, only that he was a doctor and could be 'kind of a jerk sometimes', and that worried him. Whenever Eren talked about his family he mostly spoke fondly of his mother, or told stories about him, Armin, and Mikasa. That gave him the impression that Eren's father may not have been very involved with his life growing up.

The sun had already disappeared for the day, setting earlier and earlier as the Summer waned. The night was still young and warm though, the familiar gentle breeze that so often graced the city was present, ruffling hair and tumbling litter down the street.

Levi turned into a residential area. Drove down a few quiet, tree-lined streets, past the kind of homes he used to wish he'd been raised in. He crossed over a covered wooden bridge that spanned a narrow creek, and just on the other side was Ania Park. He pulled into a spot, killed the engine, and stepped off the bike. He pulled his helmet off. This was the sort of neighborhood with so little crime that people didn't always lock their doors, so he left the helmet on the seat and stepped onto a pathway. 

Eren wasn't anywhere obvious so he followed the path, walking by dim lamp posts and large maple trees. After a minute or two the shadow of a playground came into view. Just past it, separate from the modern plastic slides and rope ladders was an old swing-set. Eren's silhouette sat on one of the swings.

Levi quickly walked over and stopped in front of him.

Eren looked up with sad eyes and Levi's hands cupped his jaw, gently turning his head, worried eyes straining through the dark, looking for cuts or bruises. 

“I'm not hurt.” Eren's voice was soft as he spoke. “He wouldn't...” But as he said it he heard the doubt in his own voice, remembering that rough grasp, his father's raised hand. A few silent tears spilled from his eyes and down his already tear-stained cheeks. 

Levi's heart broke a little and he wiped the tears away with his thumbs. He was beyond relieved that Eren had no marks on him. Firstly, because he couldn't bear to see Eren hurt. Secondly, because if there had been marks, he didn't know if he could stop himself from turning that pain back on the one who'd caused it. 

He raked his eyes over Eren's face one more time, then stepped in close and pressed Eren against him. 

Eren's hands left the chains and wrapped around to the small of Levi's back, pulling him in even tighter. His breath hitched in a sniffle and he pressed his cheek up against Levi's stomach, feeling his warmth, breathing in the safety and comfort of his familiar scent. 

Levi didn't rush anything, just gave Eren some time to decide if he wanted to talk or not. They held each other for a few minutes, accompanied by the sound of rustling leaves, the slight squeak of the swings, a dog barked in the distance. Then Eren's grip on Levi finally loosened and he pulled back to speak, eyes on the ground. Levi took a step back to look at him. Eren's hands went to the chains again and he toed absently at the bark under his feet. 

“He thinks being gay is an illness. Thought that I was asking for help by telling him. I told him I didn't need help, that he needed help, and he got so mad... I've never seen him like that before.” Eren finally brought his head up to look at Levi. “I had no idea he thought that way. It's like I never even really knew who he was.” 

Levi looked back at Eren with pained eyes, then sat in the next swing over, turning to face him. “I've found that most people are hiding something terrible inside. Except maybe you.” 

Probably not the most comforting thing to say, but the world isn't always comfortable, sometimes it's jagged and bitter.

Eren glanced at Levi and back to the ground, considering what he'd said. He wondered if Levi included himself in his own findings, thought that he might based on their past conversations. He also wondered what terrible thing Levi could possibly be hiding inside. He decided he didn't care, it wouldn't stop the love he felt for him.

_Love?_

Eren was caught off-guard by his own train of thought. He kept his eyes on the ground, mind tumbling in different directions until eventually it fell back on the interaction with his dad, replaying their words. He looked back to Levi. 

“He thinks you're perverting my mind.”

Levi took that in, then blinked to Eren with a slight smirk. “Well he's not wrong there. I can admit that I'm a bit of a pervert.”

Eren breathed a laughed, cracked a small smile, but then it all crumbled away and his face contorted into one of pain. Tears seemed to spring from nowhere, and he bit his bottom lip. 

_Shit._

Levi immediately stood in front of him again, wanted to turn Eren's face up towards him but hesitated. “Hey hey, I was kidding. I'm sorry, I suck at this.”

“No...” Eren took in a shaky breath, trying to control his voice. “...it's not that, you're great. He said...” he tried to force the sobs away. “He said he was glad my mom wasn't alive to see me like this because she'd be disappointed.”

Eren looked up, those beautiful green eyes wet and glistening in the low light, and as he blinked a few more tears spilled down his cheeks. 

Levi was instantly filled with anger. That bastard! How dare he say something like that! 

He pulled Eren into him again, tight.

“He shouldn't have said that. That was cruel, and he's wrong.” Eren sobbed into him and he could feel the wetness seeping through the thin fabric of his shirt, feel his shoulders quietly shake. He slid one hand into Eren's soft brown hair and held him close. “I didn't get to meet your mom, but from what you've told me she sounds like she was a really great person. I think she'd be happy if you were happy. I don't see how she could ever be disappointed in you.”

“Thanks.” Eren sniffled, voice muffled by their closeness. 

Eren knew all that already, deep down. He just needed to hear it, as if the words being said aloud made them real, a healing thread that weaved from Levi's lips into his heart and stitched up the stab wound.

Eren sat in the swing holding onto Levi like that for a long while, breathing him in and trying to get his emotions under control. When the tears finally stopped and his breathing wasn't as ragged, he pulled back for a deep breath and wiped his eyes with the back of his arm. 

“Do you want to go?” Levi asked, voice low in the quiet night.

Eren shook his head softly. “You think we could just sit here for a little bit?”

“Sure.” 

Levi returned to the swing next to Eren, uncertain if he should say anything else, intermittently glancing back to the brunette to make sure he was okay. Eren seemed to be focused on rearranging the small wood chips with his shoes. 

The breeze picked up and swayed the empty swing on Levi's other side with a small squeak, bringing his attention to what he was actually sitting on. He let the stillness of the surrounding park and the feeling of the swing beneath him sink in; the cold chain on his hands, the smell of grass, wood, and old metal. And suddenly an urge he hadn't felt since he was a kid itched it's way down into his legs and he gently kicked off, letting the swing take his weight.

It gave him an old but familiar thrill, and he pushed off with his boots again a little harder this time, gaining some height and momentum. 

Eren turned his face to Levi, wearing a look of puzzlement, lips slightly parted. 

Levi looked back at him sideways and raised an eyebrow, making no effort to stop his movement.

“You're swinging.” Eren blinked.

Levi simply nodded at him, quirked his lips, and gave the bark another kick to get some more height. 

“You don't swing.” A tinge of amusement was starting to surface in Eren's voice and expression.

“Says who?”

“Says...” Eren looked around him like he might find the answer on the ground or in the sky, then threw his hands out. “I dunno, the laws of nature?”

“Fuck nature. I live by my own laws.”

Eren chuckled. 

“Well, get up here.” Levi lifted his chin in invitation. “I'm going to start feeling like a real dipshit in a minute, swinging by myself.”

Eren breathed another laugh. He looked back down at the bark, then kicked both legs, leaning into the motions as the momentum swung him back and then forward. He pushed off again with more force, swung his legs to get higher, trying to catch up to the level Levi was at. 

Soon Eren reached his same height, the both of them passing by each other until eventually their motions started to synch up and they ended up swinging side-by-side. 

“Hey look, we're married.” Eren looked over at Levi and smiled. 

_There it was. That light in his eyes, that breath-taking smile._

Levi snorted and rolled his eyes. “Dork.”

A few more swings back and forth and then Eren was kicking with more vigor. “I bet I can get higher than you.” He smirked. 

“No. No way. This is one area where I will not allow my height to be challenged.”

Eren let out something between a snort and a giggle. 

They were swinging their legs hard now, leaning in just the right way to get as high as possible. It wasn't long before they were level with the metal bar running the top of the set. Levi's next swing brought him even further up, past the bar, Eren's too, and for a moment they were both suspended in free-fall until the chains caught their weight and violently jarred the swing-set, sending creaking noises throughout the old metal.

They looked to each other with wide eyes, like two boys who'd just broken a window with a baseball. 

With his next swing forward Levi jumped out and landed on the grass just outside the ring of bark. Eren followed suit, but the grass was slightly wet, and as his feet hit the ground his slipped forward. Levi saw this and tried to catch him, keep him from falling, but there was too much momentum for the slippery grass and Eren's force just ended up taking Levi down with him. 

“Shit!”

They hit the ground, Levi taking the brunt of the fall, then pushed themselves up into sitting positions to look at each other.

“You okay?” Levi asked. It was two questions. 

A little bit of the sadness slipped back into those green eyes, but Eren nodded and gave a small smile.

“Ready to go?” 

“Yeah.” Eren whispered. It seemed his voice didn't really want to speak.

“Do you want me to take you home?”

Eren shook his head. 

“You want to come to my place?”

Eren nodded. “If that's okay.”

“Of course.” Then he added, “Armin will be worried, Mikasa too.”

Eren sighed and looked at the grass. “I know. I just...I don't want to talk to them about it yet. I'll let them know I'm with you.”

“Okay.” Levi stood, brushed himself off and extended a hand to Eren. “Come on brat.”

 

As they walked back to the parking lot Eren pulled his phone out and sent a quick message to both Armin and Mikasa: “I'm okay. I'm going to spend the night with Levi. I'll talk to you both tomorrow.”

Not long after Eren had left the house Mikasa had called him, called him again, texted him, texted him more. Once she realized Eren wasn't going to answer she must have called Armin, because calls and texts started pouring in from him as soon as Mikasa's stopped. 

Eren felt a little bad ignoring them that way. Levi was right, they were probably really worried about him. He needed that time alone at the park though; to calm down and to think, and he needed Levi. As cold and callous as Levi's speech and expressions so often appeared, there was something in the way Levi touched him, looked at him, that made Eren feel like Levi would never let anything hurt him.  


It was a strange feeling for Eren to enjoy, his personality being so bullheaded and independent, he never imagined he'd end up melting so willingly into someone else's strength. 

These were Eren's thoughts as they drove through the night, arms wrapped tightly around Levi's waist, bodies close, the bike humming beneath them.

 

Back at his apartment Levi asked Eren what he wanted to do. Eren suggested watching a movie, so they picked something lighthearted and mindless, and settled in on the couch. 

Levi was still getting used to the way Eren liked to cuddle up to him. Levi hardly ever initiated it, and when he did, it was usually because he felt like he might have been a dick about something. It wasn't that he was adverse to cuddling, it was that cuddling felt like an emotional act, and expressing emotions, especially anything other than anger, was something Levi learned not to do a long time ago.  
He was trying though, because Eren liked it so much, and in the end he did too, though it made him feel vulnerable. 

They ended up in a comfortable position; legs up on the couch, Levi leaning against the armrest with a pillow behind him, Eren halfway on top of him and halfway next to him, sometimes propped up on his elbow, sometimes with his head resting on Levi's chest. 

Whenever Levi got bored with a movie his mind would drift away from the story and he'd start focusing on the scenery, the extras, inconsistencies he could spot, and the film score. That's what he was currently doing, zeroing in on the film score, breaking down what instruments were being used and why, deciphering what emotions they were trying to draw from the audience. 

His attention began to shift though as the hand Eren was drawing over him started to drift into more sensitive territory; fingers playing lightly over the fabric of his shirt, trailing over his belt and then down to brush his inner thigh, only to run back up and caress him somewhere else; his waist, up to his neck. 

Eren seemed to be doing it absentmindedly, propped up on his elbow, eyes following the characters on the TV screen. That didn't stop the effect it had on Levi however, hell, maybe even added to it. He turned his eyes back to the movie, tried to keep his breathing steady, stifle the coil of heat unfurling in his groin. Eren had had a rough night, and he didn't want him to feel pressured into having sex if he wasn't in the mood. 

That hand kept moving though, and Levi could only handle so much. He couldn't help the way his muscles started to tense as Eren's fingers brushed over them, the way his heartbeat and breathing accelerated, and the way his gaze drifted away from the TV and focused on nothing in particular as he tried to blink back his arousal. 

Then, when Levi had his eyes shut in a moment of attempted self control, that hand traveled directly between his thighs with more pressure than before and he felt Eren's hips press into his leg. He inhaled sharply and opened his eyes to look down at Eren. 

Eren was looking up at him with lust, his hand traveling back up to slip under his shirt this time, making his nipples hard. Obviously Eren's ministrations hadn't been aimless. Well in that case…

“You tease.” Levi accused in a husky voice.

Eren gave him a sly smile, then repositioned himself so that he was over Levi, though low on his body, both hands now pushing the shirt up, lips kissing around his naval. 

Levi released the hold he had on those feelings of desire, let them spread out over his body following Eren's touches. His hands wandered over Eren, fingering his hair, brushing his neck, until Eren moved to take off his shirt and he leaned up and let the fabric get pulled up and over his head. Then Eren sat back to pull his own shirt off and Levi took that opportunity to push up into a more convenient position, and he ended up sitting on the couch with Eren straddling him. 

Levi ran his hands up Eren's bare chest, one wrapping behind his neck and bringing him down to meet in a kiss as he lifted his chin. The kiss was tentative as they sampled each other's lips, turning their heads to get just the right angle. Once they found it, Levi grazed his teeth across Eren's bottom lip, following it with a small lick of his tongue. This elicited a small whimper from Eren, his lips parting, and Levi swallowed the noise, slipping his tongue inside the heat of Eren's mouth. 

Eren met Levi's tongue with his own and couldn't help the way he rolled his hips forward for some friction. Anytime Eren thought maybe he was the one driving Levi crazy, the tables would turn and he'd suddenly be the one left feeling overwhelmed. The way Levi kissed was incredibly stimulating on it's own, to say nothing of his hands, his intensity, his everything else. He was so passionate and attentive with those lips and that tongue; a mouth that before their first kiss Eren had only known for it's crude words, wry smirks, and of course, the way Levi bit at his lip ring, always drawing Eren's eyes.

Levi broke the kiss to move his lips along Eren's jaw and down his neck, simultaneously unbuttoning and unzipping Eren's pants, slipping a hand past the layers to grasp his hard-on and give it a few strokes. 

Eren threw his head back and moaned, fingers clutching at Levi's shoulders, hips rutting forward into the movements of his hand. Then without warning the warmth of that hand was gone, Levi was pushing forward off the couch, picking Eren up, hands on his ass, and walking them down the hallway, to the bedroom where he threw Eren on the bed and closed the door to block the murmuring coming from their abandoned movie. 

Levi raked his eyes over Eren once, then stepped to the edge of the bed and stripped him of his jeans and boxers. He climbed onto the bed, over Eren, until their lips were pressed together again. As their mouths gently sucked and licked and bit, Eren felt his way down Levi's chest and stomach to his waist, unfastened his belt and button and pulled the zipper down. 

Levi moaned against Eren's mouth at the feeling of his erection no longer being so tightly restrained. Their mouths remained locked together, one of Levi's hands behind Eren's head at the base of his neck, the other on the bed to maintain his balance.

With easy access now, Eren dipped a hand beneath the band of Levi's underwear, and felt at his cock, drawing one teasing finger down the length of it, only to stop on the tip of his head and circle around his slit, rubbing at the slick pre-cum there.

Levi gasped and pulled out of the kiss, looking down at Eren with dangerous eyes. 

“I think it's about time I got those wandering hands under control.” He growled and moved to the bedside drawer, opening it and retrieving a long strip of cloth.

He moved back to the bed, straddling Eren as he drew the brunette's arms above his head, and swiftly tied them to the bed-frame. Then he leaned back to admire his work and look down at Eren. His crotch was nearly over Eren's face. Eren eye-balled it with pupils blown wide, swallowed hard and bit at his bottom lip. 

“Mmmm.” Levi hummed and smirked. “Not this time.”

Levi knew that look, that lip bite. It turned out Eren had something of an oral fixation when it came to sex, always eager to get Levi's cock in his mouth. Not that Levi was complaining, he just wanted to pleasure Eren tonight, make him squirm with ecstasy, watch him come. 

He moved off the bed, removed the rest of his clothes and then climbed back onto Eren, pressed their naked bodies together, kissed him hard and deep. He satisfied Eren's craving a little with a few obscene licks into his mouth that had the brunette writhing, turning feverish. Then he lowered himself down over Eren's neck, sucking and grazing his teeth in away that sent a shiver over Eren's tan skin, nipples plucking up. 

Each nipple received a little bit of attention before he mouthed down over Eren's stomach and brought his lips to hover hot over Eren's member. He licked his tongue out and drew it up from the base to the head, stopping to gently suck at his frenulum before taking him entirely. 

With Eren's dick snug in his mouth, Levi put his hands to work, one of them wrapped around his balls to tug lightly, the other wrapped around the base of his cock, matching the rhythm of his mouth.

Eren was moaning through ragged breaths, watching, lids hooded as his dick slid in and out of Levi's beautiful mouth. It felt so good, but there was something more that he wanted. 

“Levi...” He breathed. “Will you...”

Levi slid up off Eren with 'pop' and turned his face to him, wet lips curving devilishly. 

“Will I what?”

Levi almost always knew what it was that Eren wanted based on the noises he made, the way he squirmed or stuttered something incoherent, but he liked making Eren ask, and ask for it specifically. It always made Eren flush to say such dirty things aloud. 

And Eren knew that Levi knew what he wanted, he always did, he just wanted him to say it. And even though he'd said plenty of dirty things inside these walls over the last few weeks, he couldn't stop himself from blushing when Levi made him ask, and he loved it. Loved the control in Levi's voice, the dominance in his fierce eyes and sly lips.

“Will you...” Eren felt heat creep to his face and he glanced away. “Fi-”

“Uh uh,” Levi chided, cutting him off. “Look at me when you say it.”

Eren forced his gaze back to meet Levi's intense eyes, resisted the urge to look away again.

“Finger me. Please.” He pleaded, face burning hot. 

“Much better.” 

Levi moved his position slightly so he could keep one hand stroking Eren's erection. He brought his other hand to Eren's jaw, traced his lips with the pad of his thumb before pushing it inside Eren's mouth. 

Eren moaned around it, sucking and licking enthusiastically. Levi hadn't tried it before now, but apparently Eren's love for oral stimulation extended to fingers as well. Before long he pulled his thumb out, grazing it gently over Eren's bottom teeth and lip, then replaced it with his middle finger. Eren took the hint and began slicking it up with his saliva, moans still breaking from his lips as Levi's other hand continued it's own agenda. 

Once Levi's finger was nice and wet he moved back into position. Eren spread his legs, supplying more space, and Levi rubbed the wetness between his cheeks, toying a little before pushing his finger into that tight heat. He kept his eyes on Eren's face as he slipped it in, reveling in the way he reacted, the way his brow creased, back arching, arms struggling against his restraints. 

Levi hummed his appreciation at the site, then took Eren's cock in his mouth again and began massaging Eren's prostate with his finger. 

“Hnnnn.” Eren whined and squirmed some more, squeezing his eyes shut.

Levi slid back off to say, “I wish I could finger you, fuck you, and suck you off all at once.”, then took Eren again, deep-throating him, the head of his dick pressing against the back of his throat. 

“Uhn fuck!” Eren gasped. “Me too.”

Eren's breath was catching uncontrollably, his heart pumping wildly in his chest. He couldn't think, couldn't focus on anything but the way Levi touched him; the hot wetness of his mouth slipping over his dick, the finger inside him rubbing in just the right way. His hands longed to touch him, to thread through his hair, but his arms were bound to the bed-frame. He knew there was no getting out of it, but he couldn't help the instinctive struggle as Levi worked him. 

He was close, the pressure building, the heat rising in his core. He wanted to warn Levi, tried to, but when he opened his mouth all that came out were pants and incoherent stuttering. Levi's pleasuring had literally left him speechless. 

He heard the dark chuckle in Levi's throat that signified his understanding, felt the vibrations of it on his loins as the sucking and licking continued to bring him to his peak. Then his breathing halted entirely as the pressure inside him reached the tipping point, his head back, teeth clenched, nails digging into his own palms as his hands curled into fists above his head. 

His body twitched, hips bucking forward, as he came in Levi's mouth, a debauched cry breaking from his throat. As the convulsions ebbed he finally took a deep breath in, euphoria flowing out along all his nerves, skittering up the back of his neck, making his brain fuzzy and light. 

Levi stroked every last drop out of Eren, taking it all across his tongue, then slid his lips off once Eren was done and swallowed the bitter liquid. He slipped his finger out and sat up on his knees to take in the site before him.

Eren's naked chest was heaving, shiny with sweat, arms still tied tight above him. He blinked a few times trying to gather his senses, tilted his head down to look at Levi; raking his eyes from Levi's gorgeous face down to his hard-on, untouched and wanting, then back up again. 

Eren swallowed, licked his dry lips, and whispered “Take me.”

That was all Levi needed to hear. 

He grabbed the lube from the drawer, popped the lid open and poured some into his hand. He snapped the bottle closed and tossed it off to the side, then wrapped his hand around his own throbbing cock and slicked it up with a few slow strokes. 

He positioned himself between Eren's legs, one hand on the back of Eren's thigh, his other fingering the excess lube over Eren's hole. He teased the brunette with his tip for just a moment, and then thrust forward, pushing into Eren's heat. He let out a shaky breath, eyes fluttering as he slid deep inside. He held himself there for a few seconds as Eren groaned, adjusting to his length. Then he slowly pulled his hips back and pushed back in, and again.

Levi was panting now, flushed lips parted for breath. He met Eren's green eyes with his own, held them for a few pumps in and out. He glanced down over Eren's flushed neck and chest, then back to his shining eyes. 

“Uhnnn...god, you're so beautiful.” He moaned and bit at his lip ring.

He wasn't sure if he'd ever told Eren that, but it was true, he'd always thought so, and Eren should know. 

Eren let out a low moan in response, moved his arms to touch Levi, but they jerked to a stop, the cloth taut with the strain. 

“I w-want to...touch...you.” He pleaded between breaths. 

Levi continued his thrusts with a smirk, picked up a little speed, noticed that Eren was growing hard again.

“Ask nicely.” He demanded.

“Y-yes Sir.” Eren licked his lips and tried again. “Please...can I touch you?”

The smirk melted into a look of pure lust. Levi temporary halted his thrusts and shifted to lean over Eren. He brought his mouth to Eren's and kissed him rough, lips parted, tongue licking inside, then pulled back to speak, voice strained and gravelly.

“Only if you touch yourself as well.”

“Yes Sir.” Eren breathed out. 

Levi pushed up a little to get a better look at Eren, lids hooded, slid his clean hand over Eren's throat possessively, then grabbed and held his jaw, kissed him hard again. 

“Fuck,” He groaned against Eren's mouth. “you're perfect.”

He kissed Eren some more, their mouths hot and reckless, untied the restraints with one hand. As soon as Eren was loose, he pushed back between his legs, thrusting his hips again, cock desperate for friction. He clutched Eren's thighs, dropped his head and moaned, black hair falling forward around his face, muscles flexing with each push and pull. He was lost in Eren.

Eren brought his arms down, his dominant hand went straight to stroke at his own cock, still wet with residual cum and Levi's saliva. His other hand caressed over Levi's face, laced into his hair. 

Levi was unraveling; watching Eren touch himself, feeling the hot pressure surrounding his length, and that hand on him, in his hair, somehow soft despite the intensity of their movements. Little by little Eren was breaking him apart, destroying his cognizance, swallowing him up into nothing but bliss. He couldn't handle much more. He was getting close.

“Uhn...I...I...” Levi panted, brow creased with rapture. He was beyond words. 

He came hard, thrusting into Eren deep, gripping his thighs with shaking hands. He let out a guttural moan that he couldn't stop, hip muscles convulsing with his release. 

Eren was moaning his own filthy noises and his hand pumped his cock hard, until a few seconds after Levi came he was reaching his peak again, another orgasm shaking his body, hot cum spilling across his own stomach. 

He was still swimming from his first climax, so to compound it with another so soon had him falling away into a state abandon, all white light and tingles, eyes squeezed shut, lips trembling. He didn't even notice the warm tears leaking from the sides of his eyes until Levi's worried voice brought him back to reality.

“Eren what's wrong? Did I hurt you?”

Eren blinked his eyes open to look into those silver galaxies, sharp with concern.

“No.” He shook his head with a smile, tried to explain between breaths for air. “These are good tears...you just...” -a deep breath, smile widening- “fuck so good.”

Levi's anxious expression melted away and the corner of his mouth quirked.

“Damn brat, you had me worried for a second.”

“A hard-ass like you? Worrying?” A cheeky grin spread across Eren's lips and he brought his hand up to run through Levi's disheveled hair, get it out of his eyes.

Little shit. Levi raised an eyebrow. “Don't be an ass.”

Eren laughed.

Levi glared, but was clearly stifling a smile. 

They took another minute to come down off their highs, then Levi looked between them and said, “We're filthy, come on, let's get in the shower.”

They cleaned up, dried off, concluded they were both spent and got ready for bed. 

Levi had tried to sleep naked with Eren before, but the impudent brat and his wandering hands made it impossible, always snaking his fingers through the trim black hair at the base of Levi's cock as he snuggled in. So, he opted for boxer briefs tonight. 

Eren whined about.

Levi threatened to tie his arms up in his sleep.

Eren stopped whining. 

They settled in under the sheets. Eren fell asleep quickly in his usual position; pressed against Levi's side, arm draped over his chest. The day had surly exhausted him on multiple levels. 

Levi, on the other hand, didn't fall asleep so easily. Something that happened earlier in the night, at the park, was nagging at his mind: that hurt look on Eren's face when he'd said the words 'It's like I never even knew who he was.'

Levi couldn't help but think of all the things Eren didn't know about him, all the things in his past that were locked away somewhere behind his voice. He couldn't help but be afraid that one day Eren would wear that same expression, say those same words about him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who may not be native English speakers, or are perhaps unfamiliar with this old childish custom: When I was kid, whenever you were on the swings and your swinging matched up with someone else's you were 'married'. I dunno when or why that started, but it was a thing. 
> 
> Also, there are two songs that were like my theme songs for writing this chapter:  
> 1\. Stateless - Bloodstream (this was for the park scene and going into sexy time)  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3b1CDLsiGU  
> 2\. FKA twigs - Papi Pacify (this is for the smut, song is sexy as hell)  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OydK91JjFOw
> 
> The sound of both are great on their own, but I highly recommend reading the lyrics as well. I think they're quite fitting.


	27. Shush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy hell guys, my apologies to those of you who have been patiently waiting a god damn eternity for an update. I went from having all the solitude in the world to almost never being alone. Somehow I will get my writing time back, even if I have to make some lifestyle adjustments.

When Eren got home the next morning Mikasa was there with Armin. They'd made breakfast, so the three of them sat down to talk over their meal. 

Eren apologized for ignoring their calls the night before. They understood. 

Mikasa was furious with Grisha. It turned out that after Eren had left the house she had laid into Grisha pretty hard. Gave him a verbal lashing the likes of which he probably hadn't had since he was a boy being scolded by his mother. Her fury had ended with a demand for Grisha to apologize and a threat that she wouldn't be coming over again until he did. The lack of contact Eren had from his father since their fight told him it might be a while before they spoke again. Eren's stubborn streak was something he'd gotten from his father after-all.

“Eren, I'm sorry...” Mikasa began. “for not being more understanding when you told me. Seeing Grisha talk to you like that...it made me realize that I was a jerk to you too. So, I'm sorry for how I acted that day.”

“Thanks.” Eren gave her a small smile. “Aaaand you did walk in at like a really awkward time, so...I can see how that might have freaked you out a little bit.”

“Yeah, thanks for that by the way. It's going to take me years to scrub that image out of my head.”

“Hey, it's your fault for not knocking. Just imagine if you had shown up like five minutes later, that image in your head would be-”

“Stop stop stop.” Mikasa made a face and shook her head. “I don't want to think about it.”

Armin snickered.

They spent the rest of that afternoon just enjoying each other's company, and for the first time since that day Mikasa had walked in on him and Levi, Eren felt like things were finally back to normal between the three of them. 

 

The days of that week flew by, leaving little room between work and daily life. Eren felt lucky to have the support he had between his two best friends and Levi. He didn't hear from his father at all, and the more time went by the more determined he was not to be the first to make contact. The fight they'd had that night changed their relationship permanently, there was no escaping that. He held onto hope though – even if it was subconscious, there was too much anger still bubbling on the surface – that they would be able to make amends eventually.

 

Thursday night was a little slow at Rose Cafe. Eren was in the kitchen flipping through a copy of the Shiganshina Weekly, a community magazine that got dropped off at various shops all over the city. He wasn't really paying much attention, just casually scanning the pages for something interesting.

“You can stop pretending now Jaeger.”

Eren glanced up to Jean, awaiting what obnoxious words would come next.

“I know you don't know how to read.”

“Oh fuck off Jean.” Eren glared.

“Whoa, feisty tonight!” Jean mocked offense.

“You're the one who started being a dick.”

“Come on, you know I'm just kidding around. I'm bored. It's sooo sloooow.” Jean complained and slumped onto the prep table.

“Well, it's not my job to entertain you.” 

The front door chimed announcing a new customer. Eren glanced to the small window showing a view of the counter and smirked. “Besides, your favorite customer just walked in.”

“I don't have a favorite customer.” 

“Yeah you do, it's that kid with the freckles, what's his name, Marco?” Eren nodded toward the window.

“What?” Jean made a face of denial, shaking his head, but he perked up a little and glanced to the window.

“Well whenever he comes in you guys end up talking at the counter for like an hour.”

“So?” 

“So he's your favorite customer.” Eren shrugged like it was obvious.

“Shut up.” Jean mumbled, then pushed his way through the swinging door into the front, and Eren heard his now chipper voice say 'Hey Marco, how's it going?'.

Marco might be Eren's favorite customer as well, just for the pure fact that he occupied Horse-face McIdiot's attention, giving Eren a break from his constant neighing. That and he had to admit Marco was a pretty nice guy.

Eren began flipping through the magazine again, not staying on any one page for too long, then something caught his eye and he paused. 

There in the music section was a short write-up titled: 'Humanity's Strongest' Strongest Act In Shiganshina. 

The write-up was full of nothing but praise: 'badass female drummer makes drumming look easy', 'the sultry singer's vocals will woo you and break your heart all in under an hour'. It ended with the sentence: 'The only downside to their performance is they'll get you hooked and leave you wanting more, and as of now the band has no recordings available, online or otherwise.'. Then it listed the location and time of their next show.

Reading it made Eren grin, and he wondered if Levi knew about it. He took a picture of it, making sure to get all the words in focus, and sent it to Levi.

Eren: Do you know about this?

 

Levi's Thursday night on the other hand was very busy. He didn't get a chance to look at his phone until after they'd closed Sina up for the night. He saw the picture and decided he'd read it once he was home. He bid Erwin goodnight and stepped outside. The air was a little brisk, it seemed Summer was finally coming to an end. He shivered, zipped up his jacket, and headed home.

As soon as he closed the door to his apartment he pulled his phone out and read what Eren had sent him. He was more than a little surprised by how positive the write-up was, guess some people actually liked listening to his shitty music. 

Levi: No I don't know anything about it. Where did you find it?

Forgetting about how late it was he responded to Eren, then winced at his phone, realizing he might be waking Eren up.

Eren: It was in the music section of the Shiganshina Weekly. Pretty awesome huh?

Levi: Yeah. Sorry, did I wake you up?

Eren: Nah, I'm in bed but not asleep yet. 

Eren: Thinking about a certain sultry heartbreaker I haven't seen since Monday.

Levi: Oh god, I think I prefer old man.

Eren laughed then decided to call Levi, if only to hear his voice.

Levi's phone rang in his hand. “Hey.” he answered.

“Hey. How was work?”

Eren was speaking lowly, almost in a whisper. He was probably trying not to wake Armin up. 

“Busy, but not bad. And you?”

“It was okay, kind of boring.” A moment, then, “Come over? If you're not too tired?”

Levi's pulse quickened at the thought. “You sure? It's pretty late...”

“I know. I just...miss you.” Eren's voice took on a seductive tone. “And I wasn't kidding when I said I was thinking about you.”

Levi smirked and hummed. “Is that all you were doing?”

“Wouldn't you like to know?”

Truth be told, thinking was not all Eren had been doing. He had purchased a little something online that had actually been delivered earlier in the day. That little something was a plug, which he'd just so happened to be testing out when he'd received Levi's text.

“Oh, so you're being a sassy little shit tonight.”

He heard Eren laugh softly. “Yeah I guess. Please?”

Levi was definitely going over there, but he wanted to tease Eren a little bit. 

“Hmm...how clean is your room?”

“Um, it's...pretty clean.”

“Nice try, not buying it.”

“It's clean!” Eren caught his voice getting louder and lowered back to a whisper. “I swear. I cleaned it on...not that long ago.”

“Tch.”

“The sheets are for sure clean. I washed them like two days ago, so you won't have to worry about your nakedness touching anything gross.”

“Who said I'd be getting naked?”

“Awww.” Eren whimpered. “You're so mean.”

Levi chuckled. “Relax brat, I'm coming over. Just give me a minute to clean up okay?”

“Really?” Eren sounded excited. “Okay. Um, I'll unlock the door so you can just come straight in.”

“Alright. See you soon.” Then he added, “You better not fucking fall asleep before I get there.”

“I won't.” Eren laughed. 

As soon as he hung up Eren had an idea, so he sent a text.

Eren: Wanna play a game?

Levi: Game? I was under the impression that your horny ass wanted to fuck, not burn down another kitchen.

Eren: haha, no a different kind of game.

Levi: Go on…

Eren: So since Armin is sleeping, the game is no talking for as long as possible, whoever talks first loses.

Levi: Oh you're on. I once went a year without speaking. You don't stand a chance.

Eren: haha, bring it

The sad thing was, even though Levi was kidding around, his claim wasn't far from the truth. During his first year in foster care he was severely uncommunicative. 

Levi: What are the stakes?

Eren: Uh...if I win you have to read me more scary stories this weekend.

Eren: and you can't make me face away from you

Eren: or like blindfold me or anything

Levi: You and those damn glasses.

Levi: When I win you have to make me breakfast in the morning. Specifically french toast.

Eren: I knew you liked it!

Levi: Yeah, duh, I said I liked it.

Eren: No you didn't, you said, and I quote 'better than those frozen french toast shit sticks'

Levi: Fine, I may have said. Now stop bothering me so I can actually come over. 

Eren: k

 

Eren put his phone down, contemplated taking the plug out, but decided with a small blush that he'd leave it in. He climbed out of bed, threw on some boxers and quickly started cleaning up his quite messy room. Trying hard to be quiet he sorted through a pile of clean laundry he'd tossed on the floor; folded some pants, stuffed his socks and underwear in a drawer, and hung up a couple shirts. Then he grabbed some empty water cups off his nightstand, sneaked out of his room and put them in the kitchen sink. He unlocked the front door, went back to his room and left the door open, hoping that Armin wouldn't randomly get up in the meantime.

He was lying on his bed, hands behind his head, eyes on the ceiling, second-guessing whether he should actually leave the plug in, when a shadow caught the corner of his eye. His heart jumped and he jerked his head to the doorway. 

There was Levi's silhouette. 

How the hell did he just appear there?! Eren hadn't even heard the front door open. Then he remembered how Levi had always inadvertently startled him at Rose Cafe by just suddenly being in a room. The man was impossibly quiet when he wanted to be. 

Eren opened his mouth to say 'hey', but caught himself just in time, pressing his lips together. He mentally kicked himself for almost losing right away. This game might be a little harder than he first thought.

Levi stepped into the room and silently closed and locked the door behind him, cutting away some of the moonlight from down the hall, darkening the room even further. Eren thought it was a little too dark, so he flipped on a small lamp next to his bed that cast a warm glow around the room, then turned to look back at Levi.

Levi unzipped the black jacket he was wearing, shrugged it off and set it on top of Eren's dresser. As Eren's eyes traveled over the casual burgundy T-shirt and faded gray jeans he was wearing he marveled at how Levi so effortlessly exuded sex appeal. His gaze swept back up, halting momentarily on the silver hoop; such a simple and fitting accessory for the raven-haired man. He absentmindedly bit at his own bottom lip, then met those piercing eyes.

A light smirk was dancing in Levi's eyes. Without words to break the air, the intensity Eren felt in Levi's presence seemed to magnify, become palpable. He blushed and looked away, suddenly feeling oddly self-aware. Just what had he gotten himself into proposing a game of silence between them?

Levi stepped to where Eren sat on the edge of his bed. Eren looked up and then stood to meet him, hands running over his sides and around to his back. They regarded each other for another moment, cracking small smiles, before Levi leaned in to bring their lips together. 

Eren blinked to Levi's lips before closing his eyes all the way, feeling the supple warmth of Levi's mouth press against his own, those strong hands on his naked waist, pulling him in closer. 

In the quiet of the night each noise they made felt amplified; the soft breaths through their noses, the sucks and smacks as their kissing grew more heated, the fabric of Levi's shirt being pushed up over his stomach and pecs, and finally pulled off entirely and littered to the floor. 

It wasn't long before they were practically devouring each other. 

Eren unfastened Levi's pants and slid them down enough that he could step out of them and kick them to the side, but not without procuring a small bottle of lube from them which he then placed on Eren's nightstand. 

They were kissing hard; breathing heavy, tongues flicking at each other thirsty for more. Levi palmed a hand over Eren's erection, giving it a nice squeeze through the fabric of his underwear. Then he stripped Eren of the piece of clothing, gave his cock one fluid stroke that was more of a caress and moved that hand up Eren's chest where he stopped to surprise the brunette with a tweak of his left nipple.

Eren inhaled sharply, breaking the kiss and pulling back, he was about to reflexively voice an exaggerated 'ow', but once again stopped himself just in time, actually quickly covering his mouth with his hand this time.

Eren caught the devilish look on Levi's face and narrowed his eyes, moving his hand away from his mouth. Then he was overcome with what was probably the same demon that possessed him that one time he'd had the nerve to slap Levi's ass, and a cheeky grin spread across his mouth. He grabbed Levi, spun him so his back was to the bed and pushed him onto it. 

Levi was caught completely off-guard, eyes widening slightly, an eyebrow raised in question as the brunette climbed on top of him, cheeky smile still in place. 

Guess Eren really was being a sassy little shit tonight. He was intrigued, he'd indulge the brat and see where he was headed with this. 

He slid himself into a better position, higher up on the bed, back against a stack of pillows at the headboard. Eren followed, crawling over him to bring their lips together again, wasting no time in tasting his mouth, tongue licking inside. 

Eren thread his legs with Levis and pressed his body in close, his exposed cock rubbing next to Levi's; still covered in his black boxer-briefs. 

Levi's muscles were a little sore from his workout earlier in the day as well as the exertion from his long shift, and it felt nice having Eren's weight pressing in on him, those wet lips sliding against his own. He sighed a quiet moan into their kissing, moved his hands down Eren's back and onto his ass cheeks, then bucked his hips up while holding Eren's down. 

That seemed to drive Eren into taking things to the next stage, because he groaned and broke the kiss, started pecking and nipping his way down Levi's neck, over his sharp collar bones to his nipples where he stopped to suck and flick his tongue. The sensations sent a pleasant shiver over Levi's skin. 

He was rock hard, but he also wasn't really in a hurry. Somehow the silence between them had liquified the atmosphere, like movements under water. He let his eyes blink closed, resting entirely against the mound of pillows behind him, and got lost in the feeling of Eren's mouth and hands touching over various parts of his stomach and chest. 

He was breathing pretty heavily, heartbeat almost audible through his rib cage, when Eren made his way lower, slipped his fingers under the black waistband and removed the last article of Levi's clothing. He opened his eyes to look down, lids heavy, just in time to catch Eren's bright green irises before he blinked and enveloped Levi's cock into that soft mouth. 

Levi threw his head back against the pillows again, taking a deep breath in, trying hard to stifle the moan that wanted to escape his lips. He snaked a hand into Eren's hair and gripped him roughly, but let Eren keep his own pace, mouth slipping down to the base of his shaft and then back up to tongue around the head. 

God it felt so good, and Eren looked so hot working him, lips flushed, flashes of his tongue slipping into view, the tan skin of his arms and shoulders. Eren took him especially deep then, deep enough that he could tell the brunette was exercising some self-control in not letting his gag reflex get the better of him. Levi almost let the word 'fuck' out, but bit the 'f' as it formed on his lips.

Eren heard it and glanced up with those bright eyes to smirk around his dick as he slid back up to the head with a taught suck. Levi wanted to glare, but ended up gasping instead, eyes involuntarily fluttering closed. Then Eren's touch disappeared entirely. 

Levi reopened his eyes to see Eren kneeling upright, looking pleased with himself, cock hard and dripping with pre-cum. He made a move to lean forward and take Eren in his mouth but Eren put a hand to his chest and slowly pushed him back against the pillows with a crooked smile. Levi was aghast at this continued sass...but still very intrigued. 

Eren leaned to the side, grabbed a towel that had been on the floor and a bottle of lube off the nightstand. _A_ bottle, with the lid already open, not _the_ bottle Levi had placed there earlier. How had he missed that? He raised a questioning eyebrow to Eren as he eyeballed the unfamiliar bottle. Eren's smile then turned sheepish, a blush flushed his cheeks and he glanced away for a moment. What came next had Levi's eyes widening in surprise, pupils dilating with carnal hunger. 

Eren's right arm disappeared behind him and his knees slid out a little further. Then Eren looked him right in the eyes and Levi could tell he was forcing himself to maintain the eye contact, the way he did when Levi demanded that he not look away while saying something dirty. His shoulder and stomach muscles tensed a little, his lips parted in a gasp, brow creasing a little. 

At first Levi thought Eren was fingering himself, and god damn, he wished he had a better view of the show. Then Eren's arm appeared from behind him. In his hand was a silver plug, glistening in the lamplight, which he set on the towel and then looked back to Levi, his expression a little timid. 

Levi looked from the metal toy up to Eren and a wicked smile curved the corners of his lips. He wanted to say 'filthy brat', but settled for gripping Eren's thighs and sliding him further up on the bed so that he was now straddling Levi's hips. 

Eren smiled back with a little more confidence now, poured some lube in his palm and started slicking it over Levi's hard-on. Levi pushed himself up a little so he was in a more upright position, though still relaxed against the pillows. Then he put his hands on Eren's hips, helping to guide him as he slowly worked his way down onto Levi's length; the both of them breathing heavily. 

In a moment Levi was inside Eren, chest heaving, licking his lips. The tight heat around him felt incredible and a low moan rumbled deep in his chest. Eren was trying to adjust, panting, blinking down at him with a look that made him want to flip their positions and just fuck Eren to pieces, but he was a patient man, sometimes. 

Just when he thought he might die if he didn't get some friction, Eren started to move. Slowly at first, raising and lowering himself, hands pressing down on Levi's chest for leverage. Then he picked up the pace, riding Levi a little more aggressively, his hard-on bouncing lewdly between them with the movements. 

Levi kept one hand on Eren's hip and brought his other up to his own black hair, running his fingers through it to swipe the strands back out of his eyes. He almost breathed 'fuck' again, but caught it in his throat and turned it into a low moan. His mind was getting a little fuzzy from the pleasure, layers of tension crumbling away each time Eren slid over him, enveloping him in a world of warmth and pleasant pressure. He put both hands on Eren's sides then, touched over his stomach and chest, gaze drinking in the movements of his lean form. 

He glanced then from Eren's distended cock to his bright eyes, leaving it untouched, watching the lust grow in Eren's expression until it looked like he might break and beg Levi to touch him. At that moment he wrapped his hand around Eren's shaft and stroked it to the head where he thumbed the pre-cum from his slit, then brought his hand to his mouth and drew his thumb across his tongue in a way that made Eren's breath catch in his throat; an image so seductive that when recalled later it could get Eren hard almost instantly. 

Levi poured a dab of lube in his palm, then wrapped his hand back around Eren's length and began working him as Eren continued to ride him. The much needed contact had Eren moaning low, closing his eyes at the bliss that came from Levi's slender fingers encircling him. 

Eren picked up his speed, further stripping Levi's mind of anything but pure euphoria, something that only the brunette could do for him. It was so hard to keep quiet, soft moans voicing themselves through the teeth that bit back their full volume. He could feel that pressure inside him reaching it's summit, let it take control of him, his hips reflexively thrusting up to meet with Eren's downward motions. His left hand gripped Eren's hip hard, holding him in a way that directed their connection, his right hand slicking over Eren's dick with obscene noises. 

His breath caught as he came, eyes squeezed shut in rapture, head back; his sharp jaw and slender neck highlighted by the low lamplight.

Eren watched as Levi convulsed beneath him; a deep groan vibrating from his throat, those perfect lips softly trembling. He loved watching Levi come, loved knowing that he could bring the man that much pleasure, provide him with a release from his cares. 

As soon as the last waves of his orgasm washed over him, Levi refocused on Eren; firm strokes bringing the brunette closer and closer to climax. His grip was attentive; speed and pressure matching Eren's need. So much so that Eren seemed to drift away, eyes glazing with bliss, pants turning to moans, moans that soon grew louder and louder the closer Eren got to the edge. Eren had his hands on Levi's shoulders, grip tightening in tandem with the speed of Levi's hand. 

Levi looked up at him; expression satiated yet still full of lust as he watched Eren near his release. Eren's moans became more wanton, and though Levi took great satisfaction in drawing such noises from him, once he realized Eren was too far gone to comprehend or care that his best friend was still asleep in the other room he brought his free hand up to cover Eren's mouth, muffling the sounds. 

“Shush.” Levi's lips curved, unable to hide his amusement at Eren's reckless abandon. 

But that was it. Eren was done for; eyelids fluttering shut, hands tensing on Levi's shoulders. He came with a muted moan that vibrated Levi's palm, hot cum spilling across Levi's chest, as far up as his collar bones. Levi stroked every last drop from Eren, keeping his other hand clamped over the brunette's mouth until his debauched noises faded into his ecstasy and the only sound in the room was their panting breaths. Levi lowered his hand, allowing Eren to take in gasps for air through parted lips. 

It took a moment for Eren to come back to reality, eyes blinking Levi's visage into focus, breaths finally evening out. He moved to gently slip Levi out of him, both of them inhaling sharply, but remained in his spot; straddling Levi. When he was coherent again, he seemed to realize just how loud he'd been and a small look of embarrassment overtook his features, but it was short-lived, soon the look was replaced with one of sedated accomplishment. 

“I finally got my third victory.” Eren spoke low with a cocky smile. 

Levi raised an eyebrow and whispered, “I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, but whatever it is, it just lost you the game.”

“Nuh uh.” Eren shook his head, whispering back. “You lost when you shushed me.”

“Oh so you were listening. Sorry to break it to you brat, but shushing and talking are two very different things.”

“You didn't just shush me, you said the word 'shush'.” Eren countered.

“'Shush' is not a word.”

“It totally is.”

“I only shushed you because you were going to wake up the whole building with that filthy moaning of yours.” Levi hissed back. “If shushing counts, then moaning counts, which means you definitely lost.”

“Well I wouldn't have been moaning so loud if you weren't so sexy.” 

Levi almost laughed at the defensive look Eren wore while seemingly complaining about his sexiness, but he miraculously managed to keep a straight face. 

“Oh I'm sorry, would you like me to wear a paper bag over my head next time we fuck?” 

The suggestion combined with Levi's deadpan expression just made it funnier, and Eren snickered softly. 

“I think you're just mad that you lost.” He stated, a hint of challenge in his demeanor.

Levi narrowed his eyes and growled, “Keep it up brat and I'll make you lick your own cum off my chest.”

Eren's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed crimson.

Levi hummed a chuckle at Eren's response to his obscene threat. “God, you're so cute when you're flustered.”

Eren blushed even more but then looked back to meet Levi's eyes with a little fierceness in his own and said, “Not as cute as you're going to be in your glasses this weekend.” A crooked smile spread on his lips.

Levi looked back at him in that way that made Eren think 'Oh shit.'.

Then Levi hooked a hand around Eren's neck and pulled him down so that his face was hovering just above Levi's chest, nose almost touching. 

“Start licking.”

He wasn't really being serious, so he blinked in surprise when he felt the wet trail of a tongue across his ribs. He tugged Eren back by his hair to look at him.

“You really are a filthy brat.”

A cheeky grin spread across Eren's mouth. “I didn't actually lick any up.”

“Tch.” Levi rolled his eyes, wearing a faint smile. “Give me that towel.”

Eren handed him the towel and he cleaned himself off as best he could. And when the towel was set to the side he found that Eren's mouth was on his own again; those soft lips pressing in, one of Eren's hands fingering through the bristly part of his undercut. The kiss was intimate, gentle, and unbelievably comfortable. It made his heart beat strangely, almost made him nervous. He couldn't get enough, and even though they were as close as they could physically get, he wanted more, wanted to pull Eren in so tight that they would merge, like two droplets of water seeping together. 

It could have been one minute or twenty, it was hard to tell, but when they finally pulled away they just looked at each other in silence, almost as if they'd forgotten that the game had ended. Then Levi spoke. 

“You think taking a shower would be too loud?”

“Er...probably. But there are like cleansing towel things in the bathroom under the sink.” Eren shrugged. “You can go first, I'll wait.”

Levi cleaned up in the bathroom as quietly as he could. When he was finished Eren took his place, and he returned to the bedroom and slipped under the sheets in just his underwear to wait. But as he lay there his day caught up with him, eyelids heavy, muscles tired, and he fell asleep without meaning to, lying on his side, back to the door. 

Some time later his mind drifted back into a state of half-consciousness, but his eyes remained closed, body still. He thought he could feel something behind him, touching his back; feather light and faded. Fingertips? Lips?

Soft kisses...trailing over the scars that marked his skin. 

And then a whisper so faint he wasn't sure he actually heard it: “I think I'm falling in love with you.”

The words made his heart skip a beat, but sleep was quickly overtaking him again, and he vaguely wondered if he was dreaming before he slipped away, all conscious thought disintegrating like a sand castle against the tide. 

When he woke again he could see the glow of daylight through his eyelids, blinked them open and turned to find he was alone in Eren's bed. There was a ghost of a memory -no, a dream- drifting somewhere in the back of his mind, something that made him feel warm and content. He tried to grasp it, closed his eyes again hoping that would help, but the dream evaded him; water slipping through his fingers. 

Oh well. 

He sighed, stretched, and forced himself out of the comfort of the bed. 

 

He found Eren in the kitchen, cooking, wearing a pair of drawstring sweatpants, but no shirt.

“Morning.” Eren flashed a bright smile at the sight of Levi's ruffled hair, his sleepy eyes, and the fact that he hadn't bothered to put his clothes on. 

“Morning.” His eyes drifted over the ingredients for french toast spread out on the counter. “I see you've finally admitted your defeat.”

“Psh, you wish.” Eren was talking while stirring something in a pan. “I still won.” Then he looked over his shoulder at Levi. “I just like cooking for you is all.”

Levi was torn between a snarky retort and admitting that he liked being cooked for. He was too tired to decide between the two though, so he just blinked back at Eren saying nothing. 

Eren chuckled at the tired expression Levi wore and handed him a mug, steam swirling from the top. 

“Here, I made you some tea.” Then he added, “It's going to be a minute before the food is ready, so you can take a shower now if you want.”

“Oh thank god.” Levi sipped the tea cautiously, the scent of bergamot tickling his nose. Mmm, earl grey. “Thanks for the tea brat.”

“You're welcome.”

Levi took his beverage with him to the bathroom, even took it with him inside the shower, careful to keep it safe from soap and water. About halfway through his shower he started to realize how suspiciously clean the bathroom was compared to last night. He figured Eren must have cleaned it before starting breakfast. He smiled to himself and wondered what he'd ever done to deserve someone like Eren.

The shower and tea refreshed him, the mild buzz of caffeine in his veins. He left the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and walked to the kitchen to return the mug before getting dressed. He found that Armin was in the kitchen now, standing at the counter, munching on some of Eren's breakfast. 

“Oh, hey Armin.” He set the mug down. “I didn't realize you were still here. Figured you might have class or something.”

Armin took one look at Levi -only a loose towel around his waist, hair still wet from the shower- and his jaw dropped. He had joked about Levi being out of Eren's league before, but now, now he was seriously wondering how Eren had scored such a hot boyfriend. Not that Eren wasn't attractive himself, he was, he was just kind of a dork, at least to Armin. But maybe that was just because he'd grown up with the dork. Armin had always considered himself mostly straight, but… He suddenly realized that he was just staring and hadn't responded.

“Sorry.” He blushed a little in embarrassment. “Uh, classes are finished for the semester, just have my final next week.”

“I see.” said Levi. He noticed the way Armin's eyes shifted awkwardly away from his almost nakedness. “I'll go put some clothes on.”

 

Levi disappeared down the hall, Eren's bedroom door closing behind him.

Armin turned to Eren wearing a look of awe. “Wow Eren, just...wow.” He whispered.

Eren raised an eyebrow at his best friend. “I thought you liked girls.”

“I thought so too, but now I'm not so sure...” He wiggled his eyebrows at Eren and looked back to the hallway.

“Hey.” Eren elbowed him. “Stop drooling over my boyfriend.”

Armin giggled and held his hands up in innocence. “I'm not. I mean he's like...really pretty Eren. I'm just saying you should probably keep getting him addicted to your food before he realizes what a dork you are.”

“Shut up.” Eren laughed and elbowed him again. 

 

When Levi returned, Eren served him up a plate of french toast and hash-browns. He devoured it, realizing that he actually hadn't eaten since before his shift the day before. Armin left to study at the library soon after and the two of them cleaned up the kitchen when they were finished eating. 

Work wasn't far off for the both of them, having slept-in from being up so late the night before. They parted ways at the apartment door. 

“Thanks for coming over last night.” Eren smiled. 

“My pleasure. Thanks for breakfast.” He sighed, looked away and muttered, “Your french toast is delicious.”

Eren laughed, then asked, “Do we get to hang-out tomorrow?”

Levi simply nodded, then leaned in to press a chaste, yet electric kiss to Eren's lips that made his brain a little tingly. 

“See you tomorrow brat.”

“See ya tomorrow old man.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I personally feel like I let myself down with this chapter. I generally like to take 3-4 long writing sessions to write a chapter, that way I can immerse myself in the characters and the current events in the story, but...the only way I was getting this chapter out was to write it over like a dozen short sessions over several weeks. *sigh* Anyway, what I'm saying is, I'm sorry if this chapter sucks.


	28. Don't Mind Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again everyone! As usual it's been a while, guess that's just how I work, thanks for sticking around. So there's a lot going on in this chapter, it's pretty massive in comparison with the others. Most recent chapters have ended up somewhere around six thousand words, this one is pushing ten thousand. I feel like a lot of this chapter kind of just wrote itself, you know how that goes sometimes, but I'm hoping it doesn't end up feeling disjointed or boring or whatever. I'm hoping you like it, and I'd love to hear what you think about it. 
> 
> WARNING: There's a glimpse into Levi's past in this chapter, and it is pretty rough, broke my heart a little writing it. So, if you're sensitive to the topic of abuse and think you might have a hard time reading an abusive scenario, go ahead and skip the entire section that is italicized.
> 
> Apologies if you notice any errors, only had a chance to read through once real quick.

It was feeling a bit warm in the lounge so Levi loosened his tie and undid the first button of his shirt, then continued closing up the register, counting the last pile of change and scribbling the amount down. Petra and Oruo had already left for the night, so when he heard footsteps enter the bar area he already knew it was Erwin. 

“Just finishing up, almost done.” He didn't even look up, eyes focused on the quick math he was calculating.

“No rush.” Erwin approached the bar. “I know it's been kind of a long week, and you're probably ready to get out of here, but I was wondering if you'd be willing to stay just a bit longer tonight, do me a favor.”

Levi scribbled the total, circled it, and glanced up to look at Erwin, waiting for more.

“I've got a stack of invoices and the schedule for the servers I've got to get done by Monday, and I just know it's going to be too busy this weekend to get to. If it's not too much to ask, I was hoping you'd be able to enter the invoices while I write up the schedule. Shouldn't take longer than twenty, thirty minutes.”

Levi shrugged. “Sure, no problem.”

It was late enough already that Eren was bound to be asleep, besides it always took some time for Levi to wind down after a shift before he could even attempt sleeping. 

“Thanks, I really appreciate it.”

Levi handed the money bag off to Erwin and they made their way to the office. Erwin locked the money in the safe, then grabbed a stack of crinkled papers and handed it to Levi. 

“Here. They go in the same program as the bar invoices, you'll just have to select the different vendors is all. You can use the desktop. I've got the scheduling program on my laptop here.”

“Okay.” Levi took the papers, sat in front of the computer and logged on. 

Erwin set his laptop up nearby on the desk and booted it up. “I think I'd like a glass of wine to work with. You want anything?” He asked Levi, pausing in the doorway on his way out.

“Hmm.” Levi considered it, then decided a cold beer sounded nice. “Hefeweizen please.”

“Orange slice?” Erwin asked.

“Sure.” 

Erwin left and Levi got started on the invoices. Over the last couple weeks he'd memorized the account numbers for all the bar vendors so he was pretty quick at making it through a stack, these were all different vendors however, so he had to double-check each number before entering it. Made the task take just a bit longer, but it wasn't too annoying.

Just a few minutes passed and Erwin returned with their drinks, setting the beer next to Levi. 

“Thanks.” Levi said. He took a sip; felt the cold liquid travel down his throat, already cooling him from the inside. 

They worked in silence for a few minutes, taking occasional sips of their drinks, eyes focused on their tasks. Eventually Erwin began a conversation while they worked, nothing in particular really, just small talk. Levi responded in his typical manner; nods, hums of acknowledgment, a few responses here and there. The atmosphere was comfortable enough, and after a few minutes the conversation had somehow evolved to a point where Erwin was telling Levi about the first time he'd gotten drunk. 

“My mother was asleep on a lounge chair by the pool. She liked to do that; day drink out by the pool with a stack of magazines while my dad was at work. It was Summer break, I was...” He hummed in thought. “Fourteen? Maybe thirteen actually. Anyway, she had fallen asleep, magazine in hand, and there was half a pitcher of margaritas on the glass table next to her. I was curious, so I took a sip from her glass. It was good and I wanted more, so I ended up getting a really big cup from inside and quietly filling the whole thing up while standing next to her. I got so drunk, ended up drinking that whole pitcher while she slept out there. She never even realized it happened either; woke up, thought she drank it all and made herself a new pitcher and went back out to the pool.” 

Erwin chuckled as he finished his story. Levi breathed a laugh through his nose, took a sip of his beer and continued typing in numbers. 

“What about you Levi?” Erwin turned to look at him, chair leaning back with his weight. “When did you have your first drink?”

The question soaked into Levi's mind, stirring up a memory he hadn't revisited in many many years:

 

_Levi was seven years old and unusually small for his age. He was in the very corner of the living room, lying on the carpet. He had a couple pieces of paper in front of him as well as a few broken Crayolas he had stolen from school. They colored better than the waxy crayons his mom had gotten him from the dollar store, besides, they were broken, so it was okay that he took them right?_

_He was drawing a picture of a dragonfly – a pretty good one - humming a tune that he'd made up at school earlier in the day. He was absorbed in the wings, trying to figure out a balance between colored and translucent, when his father yelled from the couch._

_“Shut the fuck up! I can't hear shit with you making that noise.”_

_Levi's heart jumped and he stopped humming immediately. His hands started shaking as he continued to color, he tried to steady them, tried to keep his nervous breathing quiet._

_His father was watching some show on TV, his usual plastic jug of whiskey and a glass sat on the coffee table in front of him. His mom was sitting at a battered kitchen table, quietly thumbing through a newspaper and sipping on her drink of choice - boxed wine. His father always scoffed and curled a lip when she'd turn the nozzle to fill her glass. She pretended not to notice._

_It was late in the day, just an hour or so before sunset._

_Only the sound of the TV filled the room for a while, long enough that Levi's heart had almost calmed down, but then his father yelled from the couch again._

_“What the hell are you even doing over there in the corner?”_

_The crayon in his hand stilled. “Drawing.” he muttered._

_His father turned to look over his shoulder. “Speak the fuck up!”_

_“Drawing.” He said a little louder, then scooted to sit up against the wall as his father rose from the couch and strode to tower over him. His hands were shaking again as he held his dragonfly to his chest._

_“Drawing?” His father asked._

_Levi just nodded._

_“Give it to me.”_

_His father held out a hand. Levi swallowed and slowly stood up, handed his drawing over and looked at the floor. He wasn't sure why, but he suddenly felt like he'd done something wrong. The paper was snatched from his fingers._

_“What is this sissy shit? Fuckin' butterflies?” His father looked from the drawing down into his eyes. “Why aren't you drawing something cool, like robots or monsters or something?”_

_Levi wasn't sure what the right answer was so he just kept quiet, blinking up at his father._

_“Huh?” His father shoved a hand to his chest that made him bump into the wall behind him._

_He was afraid he might say something wrong, so his silence remained._

_“I swear to god, sometimes I think you came out fuckin' retarded.” He scoffed and tossed the drawing onto the floor. “Why are you even in here? Why aren't you outside playing in the dirt?”_

_Levi almost didn't answer, but he could see the impatience growing in his father's eyes._

_“Because I don't like getting dirty.” He said quietly, looking at the floor. He could feel his mother watching them from the kitchen._

_“Because you don't like getting dirty?” His father mocked._

_He shook his head. Shame at his own behavior drug his heart down to his stomach, but he wasn't sure of what he'd done wrong. He'd made sure to be out of sight, in the corner, not bothering anyone…_

_The humming. He should have been quieter._

_Suddenly his hair was grabbed from the top, his head yanked to look up at that belligerent face._

_“That's because your balls haven't dropped yet. If you even have any...”_

_He was being dragged across the room to the coffee table, feet stumbling to catch up._

_“Well maybe I can help with that. Let's put a little hair on your chest.”_

_He had that tone, the one that told Levi nothing he could say or do would stop whatever was coming next._

_Without warning the hand tugging his hair moved to his jaw, forcing his mouth open, and a plastic bottle was pushed past his lips. Liquid like fire washed across his tongue. He choked it down trying to breath through his nose, eyes burning, tears spilling out the sides. It was all he could do to keep from inhaling it, forcing his throat to gulp it down._

_Through the pain and struggle for air he heard his mother approach, voice pleading. “Stop it! He's only seven!”_

_The bottle momentarily lowered and he coughed and sucked in gasps for air. He thought maybe his mother's plea had worked, but after the familiar smacking sound followed by her stumble into the wall, he knew his father had just stopped to hit her._

_“Don't tell me how to raise my own son!”_

_Before he could think to run, or do anything, still trying to catch his breath, vision blurred by tears, the bottle was forced back to his mouth. He sputtered, choking on the liquid, some of it making it down his throat and some of it spilling down the sides of his mouth, onto his neck, soaking into the collar of his shirt. He inhaled and some slipped down his windpipe, the cough that followed sent the fire burning up into his sinuses._

_“That's enough! Please! He's too small!” The bottle was yanked away._

_He fell to his hands and knees, coughing, eyes stinging and dripping tears. He could hear his father yelling something, another slap, a crash – he'd probably pushed her into something. Then the world spun, nausea racking his body, and he puked onto the carpet. His gut clenched and another splash followed the first, the liquid burning just as much coming up as it had going down. He gulped for air, felt like the world was falling out from under him, and then vomited a third time._

_He blinked through his tears, trying to breath in-between sobs, then the reality that he'd just thrown up all over the floor sunk in and he started to panic. He was in so much trouble. The hand pulling him up by the neck of his shirt told him as much._

_He braced himself, eyes already scrunched closed when the hand smacked his face. Before he dared open them again he was shoved backward, hard, and tripped into the end table, knocking his father's ashtray to the floor; cigarette butts scattering, gray dust clouding the air._

_“I try to be nice. Share a drink with you and you just puke it all up on the floor you ungrateful fucking runt!”_

_Levi was on his back, propped up on his elbows, his father practically choking him with how tight he gripped the front of his shirt. He was trying to keep it together, the more he cried the more he got punished. The smell of the spilled cigarettes and the whiskey soaking his shirt filled his nostrils and he almost puked again. Somehow he managed to hold it back, covering his nose and mouth with one hand._

_“You're lucky this wasn't my good whiskey or I'd be really pissed!” He was shoved away and then his father stood up, snatched the bottle of whiskey, and stomped towards the door. “Clean up your mess!” he shouted before stepping outside and slamming the door._

_Levi didn't remember much after that; just crying, the world spinning, and his mother's soft voice 'I'm so sorry sweetie. So so sorry.', her arms carrying him to his bed, forcing him to drink water. He may have puked again, he wasn't sure._

_When he woke the next day it was afternoon, guess he was missing school again. His face hurt, and so did...everything else. He didn't bother looking in the mirror, didn't want to see it. The house was quiet, empty. He was alone. The cigarettes and vomit had been cleaned off the floor. He stood there for a moment, staring at the lines the sunlight made on the carpet and wall, dust particles floating in the bright beams. He found his drawings torn up in the kitchen trash, the nubs of crayon in with them. He silently took them out and put them in his pocket._

_He left the house then and walked to a field a few blocks away, where he curled up in his hide-out - a make-shift shack he'd built up against an old tree – and listened to the sound of the weeds brushing together in the wind._

 

Levi had relived the memory in only a few seconds, eyes zoned-out on the computer screen. He blinked and turned to Erwin with his response, keeping his face impassive as always. 

“I was seven, it was my father's whiskey, and I just ended up puking most of it up.” He shrugged casually and turned his attention back to his work. 

“Jesus Levi, seven?” Erwin raised an eyebrow at him before turning back to his laptop. “You got started young.”

“I guess.” 

He glanced to his beer, watched a bead of condensation run the curve of the glass. He suddenly had no desire to finish it. Keyboard clicks filled the air as his fingers resumed their work.

The conversation ended there, and luckily Levi only had two more invoices to enter. He finished them quickly, then logged off the computer. 

“All finished.” He slid the stack to Erwin, stood, and pulled on his jacket. “You mind if I take off?”

“Not at all.” Erwin sipped his wine. “Thanks again.”

“No problem.” He grabbed the beer from the desk and pushed the chair in.

“See you next week.”

“Yeah.” He nodded as he left the office. 

He took the beer to the kitchen and watched the liquid swirl into the drain as he poured it out. He tossed the empty bottle into the glass recycling with a clang, washed his hands, and left the building. 

 

Back at his apartment he didn't even bother turning the lights on as he locked the door behind him, slipping his shoes and jacket off. The moon cast a pallid glow around the apartment, gave the space an almost melancholy quality. He caught himself pacing the living room, brow pinched in a scowl. He stilled his feet, took a deep breath, and ran a hand through his hair. 

He unbuttoned his shirt, put it in the dirty laundry, sat cross-legged on the floor, leaning against the foot of his bed. He pulled his phone out and stared at it for a while. His fingers itched to bring up Eren's number, push the 'call' button, just…hear the smile behind his voice. It was far too late, he knew that, he knew Eren was asleep. His thumb, however, hesitated over the touchscreen. 

What was he going to do, intentionally wake him up for...nothing? 

Old sounds, smells, and images prickled up the back of his neck, threatening to claw their way to the forefront. He set his phone down and thread his hands through his hair, gripping, as if the physical motion could stop the immaterial movements of his mind. 

“Get your shit together.” He hissed to himself. 

He snatched his phone up, opened the photo album and brought up the picture of him and Eren. He took a few deep breaths blinking down at Eren's smile, set the phone down, stripped, and got in the shower. 

 

The sound was faded at first, molding into his dreams, but eventually the ringing grew louder and he realized he was getting a call. Without opening his eyes Eren fumbled to grab his phone from the side of his bed and answered it, still half asleep. 

“Morning babe.” He mumbled. 

“Babe?” Said a female voice.

Eren jolted into a sitting position, suddenly very awake. Babe? He'd never called Levi that before, wasn't sure how the man would've reacted if it had actually been him. 

“Mikasa? Sorry, I thought you were-”

“Yeah yeah, I know.” She dismissed. “Hey, I'm gonna get right to the point. Do you have a saw?”

“A saw?” Eren rubbed a fist into one eye.

“Yeah, a saw. Do you have one?”

“Uh...no, but dad might have one in the garage. You could try ca-” He stopped mid sentence. “...nevermind. What do you need a saw for anyway?”

“Nothing really.” Her voice became less urgent, more nonchalant. “Just want one so I can cut my cast off is all.”

“Oh, that's cool.” Eren yawned, then the words sunk in. “Wait what?! Cut your cast off?! Mikasa what are you thinking? You can't do that!”

“I'm losing my mind over here Eren! I can't handle this stupid thing anymore. My leg feels fine, it's probably healed enough that I don't need it. I need to get back to work. Sitting around like this is driving me crazy.”

Eren couldn't blame her for getting restless, she was a personal trainer at the local gym after-all. She wasn't used to being immobile for such a long period of time. 

“Okay, slow down and think about this.” He reasoned. “You only have one more week until you go in to get it checked right? Do you really want to risk your leg for just one week? And your job gave you all the medical leave that you need, so don't worry about getting back to work. Just...do some crunches or something.”

“You have no idea how many crunches I've already done.” She growled followed by a frustrated sigh. 

Eren was racking his brain for some way to help. “Uh...hey, how about you get out of the house today? I was thinking of asking Levi if he wants to go check out that new aquarium that opened up. You could come with us.”

“Would Armin be going?”

“No, he's going to go stress out about his final at the library again.” 

“Sounds about right.” She hummed in thought. “Thanks, but I don't want to be the third wheel. Plus I'd be hobbling around all slow and it would just suck for you guys. Armin and I can check it out with you after I get this dumb thing taken off.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I'll just do some more crunches or something.” She laughed. 

“Ha ha, okay. You're not going to go get a saw are you?” Eren was suspicious. 

“No, I'll wait until my appointment.” She sighed again “Swear.”

“Good. It's really fine if you come with us today.” He tried again.

“Thanks, but I'll pass. Talk to you later okay?”

“'Kay, see-ya.”

Eren hung-up and looked at the time - 9:00 AM. He groaned and flopped back against his pillow. Why did she have to call so early? He hadn't fallen asleep until around three after work last night. He snuggled into his bed, caught the scent of Levi's cologne on his sheets and smiled; giddiness for their time together lulling him back to sleep. 

He woke on his own later, just after noon, feeling nice and rested. He was a little surprised Levi hadn't called yet, but figured he probably had a late night. 

Armin was already gone, leaving him free reign of the apartment. He ate a bowl of cereal, then turned on some upbeat music to match his good mood and did the dishes. He brushed his teeth, took a long shower.

After drying off he checked his phone again. Still no call from Levi and it was 1:30 now. He'd wait a little longer. 

He did a few more household chores and when he looked at his phone again it was 2. He decided to just call Levi; a couple rings and then he picked up, sounding very tired. 

“Hey brat.”

“Hey. Sorry, did I wake you up?”

“Yeah, it's fine. What's up?” 

Sleep lay heavy on his voice, making Eren wonder if he was fully awake.

“Uh, well, I was waiting for you to call when you woke up, but it's starting to get kind of late so...” He trailed off. 

“Late? What time is it?”

“A little after two.”

“Jesus...” Levi mumbled. “Sorry, I couldn't sleep worth shit last night.”

He pictured Levi tossing in his sleep, heard those pained noises he'd made all over again and his heart hurt. “It's okay.” 

“I'll get up.” Levi sounded a little more awake now. “What do you want to do today?”

“I was thinking we could go to that aquarium that opened up a couple months ago. If you want.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever you want brat. As long as you don't go drowning yourself in one of the tanks.” He mumbled. 

Eren laughed. “I won't.”

“Good. Give me a bit to shower and shit and I'll head over okay?”

“Okay, see you soon.”

“Bye.”

 

Levi was shrouded in a sullen mood, he could feel it weighing on his shoulders and eyelids as if it was a physical presence. He would prefer to be in a good mood, so he tried to shake the ill feelings as he showered and headed over to Eren's, but he wasn't very successful. That was until he pulled up to Eren's building and saw that the brunette was already waiting for him out front, that bright smile widening as he approached.

He parked the bike, took off his helmet and walked around to Eren where he was met with not a 'hey' or 'hello', but an immediate kiss that caught him off-guard, Eren's arms pulling him in like they hadn't seen each other in months. Their kiss ended and Levi took a step back to look up at Eren.

“Well hello to you too.” He joked. 

Eren just smiled back and said, “Here.”, handing him something. 

Levi took it and looked down to see he was holding a granola bar of some kind. “What's this?”

“You didn't eat anything for breakfast did you? Aaaand I'm going to guess that you probably haven't eaten since before your shift yesterday.”

Eren had guessed correctly. Levi blinked back up to green irises, his impassive expression faltering a little before he offered a small smile and muttered, “Thanks brat.”, slipping the granola bar into his pocket for later. How could something so small make him feel so much?

Eren caught the slip, Levi's shadowed eyes betraying him. 

“You okay?” Eren asked. 

“Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired still.” He grabbed both helmets and handed one to Eren. “Ready to go?”

Eren nodded, put the helmet on, and snuggled into Levi's back as they pulled onto the road.

The aquarium was a thirty minute drive out of the city. An entire half hour during which Eren had an excuse to press in close to Levi, hold him tight, feel his chest expand and contract with each breath. And if the helmet wasn't so in the way, he would have nuzzled his face into the back of Levi's neck. Eren made a mental note to continue choosing activities that were far away. 

Those arms wrapped around him, hands holding tight, Eren's chest flush with his back, all made Levi want to melt into it, close his eyes and get lost, but he was driving, so he kept his grip on the handles, eyes on the road. As they flew along the highway, mostly alone, that sullen shroud covering him began to flutter in the wind, whip up like a cape, and eventually disconnect, left tumbling in their wake. He felt lighter, more free, leaned back into Eren as much as he could and felt the brunette's hold around him tighten. Something about it made his eyes sting and he blinked the feeling away, refocusing on the asphalt and yellow lines that sped past them, the hum of the engine, the flow of the air. 

 

It wasn't surprising that the aquarium was decently busy, it had recently opened and it was a Saturday after-all. They paid the entry fee and made their way inside. Eren looked to Levi, worried he might be disgruntled by all the kids and parents shuffling around in front of the large glass windows, but he found Levi munching on the granola bar, a look on his face that Eren would almost describe as content. He smiled and laced his hand into Levi's free hand.

“You want to just start here and make our way around?” Eren asked.

“Fine by me.” Levi shrugged, finished the granola bar and threw the wrapper into a nearby trashcan.

They strolled along a wall of massive tanks, appreciating all the brightly colored fish and coral, standing a few feet back from the glass so all the kids could huddle in close, crouched with their noses pressed right up to the glass. Levi was feeling much better now than when he'd first woken up, thanks to Eren's granola bar, and his company. The small snack would tide him over until their aquarium visit was over, but he'd definitely need a full meal afterwards.

“You think this place has a restaurant?” He glanced sideways to Eren and then back to the bright Angel fish swimming before them. 

“Hmmm.” Eren pressed his lips together in thought. “I dunno, they might.”

“I hope it's a sushi joint.” He mused, keeping his eyes on the fish. “I could really go for some sashimi right now.”

“Levi!” Eren snorted a laugh and gently elbowed the shorter man. “That's messed up.”

A smirk played across Levi's lips.

 

During the next hour or so they made their way through most of the exhibits, whispering things to each other here and there, pointing out something they liked. Levi lingered in front of the shark tank longer than any other, actually sat on a bench to watch, and Eren saw how his eyes followed the hammerhead with interest. They moved on and eventually came to a large open tank, the majority of which was below them with the top of the tank stopping about mid-thigh. 

There were a few aquarium employees sitting around the edges, clad in khaki shorts and polo shirts. The tank was full of dozens of sting rays. They approached the edge and looked down at the majestic creators soaring through the water. 

“Cool.” Eren looked to Levi with a smile. 

He nodded back. 

“Would you like to feed them?” A cheery blonde girl was sitting at the edge nearby.

“Can I?” Eren's eyes lit up.

She laughed. “Yeah, that's what we do at this tank. Here, hold this is in your palm, keep your hand flat and just lower it into the water. They'll come over and suck it up.”

A strange and disgusting pile of what must be sting ray food was placed in Eren's hand. He stepped to the edge of the tank, leaned over and carefully started to lower his hand.

Levi watched, eyebrows furrowed. He turned to the employee. “Is this safe?”

She laughed at his look of concern. “Of course! Here, would you like to feed them too.”

He shook his head at the bucket of mystery goo at her feet. “I'll watch thanks.”

Levi stepped up next to Eren and watched as three or four rays swooped over his hand once it was under the water. 

Eren laughed and brought his arm out, hand empty now. “That's awesome! Come on your turn!”

“Nah, I'm good.” Levi peered down at the rays still gliding around, more of them gathering, anticipating food. 

“What?! You have to! It feels so cool.” 

Eren grabbed Levi's arm then and pulled him over to the girl with the bucket, he brought Levi's hand up and smoothed his fingers flat. “Here, put some in his hand.”

“Uuuuuh…” The girl hesitated, caught between Eren's eager face and Levi's death glare.

“Come on Levi.” Eren busted out his puppy eyes.

“God, fine, put some of that gross shit in my hand.” He huffed and rolled his eyes. “But I swear to you if I lose a finger or something there will be hell to pay.” 

The girl's handful of food stopped at that last part, her eyes widening. 

“It's fine.” Eren muttered to her. “He's always like this.”

Levi grimaced as the food was placed in his palm, then they walked to the edge. He moved his hand over the side of the tank, lowered it a little, and then stopped before reaching the surface. He narrowed his eyes at the strange creatures, still swarming about. 

Eren snickered at his hesitation. 

Levi shot him a sideways look, then slowly lowered his hand under the water.

The rays were all over him immediately, swooping over his hand, devouring the food in a frenzy.

“Fucking hell!” Levi jerked his arm out of the water and took a step back, looking down at his hand – which was completely unharmed.

A mother with two kids was just a couple feet from them, looking at the rays. She gave Levi a reproachful look, said “Excuse you! There are children here.” She covered the younger one's ears and shuffled them away.

Eren burst out laughing. 

“What the fuck are you laughing about?” Levi muttered, looking from his hand back to the rays. 

“Nothing.” Eren calmed his laughing, but couldn't quite wipe the amused grin off his face. 

Levi asked the employee where he could wash his hands and she directed them to a nearby sink. Once their hands were clean, they looked around to see if there was anything they hadn't seen yet. 

“We miss anything?” Levi asked.

“Uhhh...” Eren was scanning the area, head turning to look at the tanks around them. Then his gaze stopped to read a sign a little ways from them, his eyes went wide and he whispered, “What?! No way.”

He practically took off running towards a tank on the other side of the room.

“Guess we're going over there.” Levi muttered and walked after him. 

He read the sign – Seahorses- as he stepped up next to Eren, who was crouched down with his face inches from the glass.

“Oh my god, they're real.” Eren glanced up to Levi then back to the tank, obviously in awe of what he was seeing. 

“Of course they're real. It'd be a pretty shit aquarium if the fish were fake.”

“No, seahorses. They're actually real.” Eren's eyes were glistening, smile growing. “I thought they were a myth...you know, like unicorns and dragons and stuff.”

Levi blinked down at him, raising his eyebrows. “Wait, let me get this straight...you've managed to go twenty-two whole years, living next to an ocean, thinking that seahorses were a myth?”

It was Levi's turn to laugh. 

“Shut up.” Eren blushed and looked away. 

 

They lingered in front of the seahorse exhibit for a long time, Levi eventually crouching down next to Eren to get a better look.

“I can see how you thought they were a myth, they're pretty weird looking.” He mused. 

“You're just saying that to make me feel better.”

“No I'm not. Look at that one.” Levi pointed. “It's got like leaves and shit growing out of it. And this one here, well...I don't even know where start with it.”

Eren chuckled and smiled at him, feeling a little less stupid. 

 

The seahorses were the only thing they hadn't seen, so when Eren was finished being mesmerized, they were ready to go. Eren had to pee, however, so Levi waited outside of the bathroom, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. 

He was watching all the people shuffle by with disinterest, thinking about what to do for dinner – turns out the aquarium did not have a restaurant – when his eyes fell on a small figure slumped against a wall. He watched the kid for a moment; he had his head tucked into his legs, and Levi caught the way his tiny shoulders shook. He glanced around at the people walking past, all caught up in corralling their own children. 

_Come on._

Another moment passed and still there was no parent in the vicinity who looked like they were missing a child. Levi looked back to the kid, sighed, and pushed off the wall.

“Hey.” His voice was soft as he crouched down next to the boy.

The kid looked up from his arms, cheeks wet, but didn't say anything. 

“What's your name kid?”

“C-Collin.”

“Nice to meet you Collin, my name's Levi.”

“Levi?” He confirmed.

“Mhm.” Levi nodded. “How come you're sitting over here by yourself? Are you lost?”

“Yeah.” His voice broke and some more tears spilled down his cheeks. He was trying to get the crying under control, then squeaked, “I'm sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” _Why is the kid apologizing?_

“F-for crying.” He met Levi's eyes, expression timid. 

Levi felt a pang in his chest. “Hey, it's okay. You don't have to be sorry for that. Who did you come here with?”

“My mom.”

“Do you want me to help you find her?”

Collin nodded.

A familiar pair of shoes stopped next to them and Levi looked up to see Eren. 

“Collin, this is Eren. Is it okay if he helps us find your mom too?”

The boy looked up to Eren who gave him a reassuring smile. “Yeah.”

“Okay, come on, let's go.” 

Levi stood and motioned for the kid to follow. Collin stood and latched onto Levi's left hand with both of his tiny hands. Eren caught the way Levi's expression faltered, steps stuttering, but he let the kid remain. 

They walked all the way to the 'Guest Services' counter with the boy hanging onto Levi's arm like a life-line. Levi explained the situation to the woman behind the counter, who then made an announcement over the loud speaker.

“We can handle it from here sir.” She smiled at Levi and then down to Collin. “I'm sure she'll be here soon.”

“Thanks.” Levi replied. He looked down to the boy still clinging to him. “Good luck kid.”

He took a step, attempting to walk away, but the boy remained attached to his arm. Levi stopped, looked back at the kid, then looked around awkwardly, glancing to Eren, who was obviously trying to keep a snicker under control. 

“Don't go Levi. Stay with me until she gets here?” Collin's eyes were desperate.

Levi sighed and turned back to the kid. “Sure.”

The next minute consisted of them standing in a weird silence while Collin stared directly up at Levi, still hanging onto him. Levi shifted awkwardly, avoiding looking at the kid. Eren was dying with amusement at the situation, though he did feel a little bad about Levi's obvious discomfort. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Levi asked the kid, couldn't take it anymore. 

“Did you get in a fishing accident?” The kid sounded genuinely curious.

“What?” Levi was utterly confused. 

“Is that why there's a fish hook in your lip?”

Eren sorted a laugh and quickly covered his mouth. Levi shot him a glare, but couldn't stop the small quirk of his lips.

“It's not a fish hook, it's a piercing, see?” He leaned down a bit so the boy could get a better look. 

“Did it hurt?”

“A little.”

“Can you get one in your nose?”

“Sure.”

“What about your eyebrow?”

“Yeah, people get piercings in lots of places.”

“What about...your elbow skin?”

“Uh...” Levi blinked at him.

Eren snickered again.

Levi was spared a response though, because just then a woman came running up to the counter. 

She scowled at the way her son was hanging onto some strange man. “Collin!”

Collin turned, released Levi, and rushed forward. “Mom!”

“Why did you disappear like that?” She grabbed him by the shoulders.

“I'm sorry Mom.” 

“Stop crying.” She scolded, then took him by the arm and began pulling him away. “Let's go.”

He stumbled after her, but managed to turn and wave. “Bye Levi!”

Levi gave him a small wave back as they disappeared into the crowd. 

“Thanks for the help brat.” Levi shot Eren an accusing look. 

“What?” Eren shrugged with a smile. “You had it.”

“Tch.” Levi rolled his eyes. “I'm going to go wash that kids stickiness off my arm.”

 

They drove away from the aquarium, Eren snuggled in close again, smiling to himself. The sun was low in the sky as they sped along, wind whipping their clothes. Eren zoned out, content with hugging Levi and staring at the vibrant oranges and purples that streaked the horizon. Before they got too far though, Levi pulled the bike off an exit, turned down another road, and parked in front of a place with a neon sign that flashed 'Callie's Diner'.

Levi pulled his helmet off and turned to Eren who did the same. “You ever been here?”

Eren looked up at the sign and shook his head. “Nope.”

“Me neither.” 

“Might be good, we could try.” Eren shrugged. 

Levi sat in thought for a moment then said, “Fuck it, I don't even care if it sucks, I'm so god damn hungry right now.”

 

They went inside, saw a stack of menu's and a sign that said, 'Please sit wherever you like.'

Levi scrutinized the booths, found one he deemed clean enough, and they sat down across from each other, opening up their menus. The options were typical diner food; breakfast items, burgers, fries, an assortment of sandwiches. 

“Well aren't you two cute.” 

A couple glasses of ice water were placed on the table. They looked up to see a curvy woman with a sly smile and the aura of 'the cool aunt'. 

“You boys all ready or should I give ya another minute?”

“I'm ready.” said Levi.

“Me too.” Eren added. 

The waitress readied a pen and pad of paper. “Go ahead.”

Eren ordered an omelette, Levi ordered a chicken sandwich with fries. 

She scribbled their orders down, then looked back between them with that sly red smile again. “And I'm guessing y'all are going to want a chocolate milkshake to split?”

They looked to each other. Levi shrugged, Eren smiled and then nodded to her. 

“I'll make sure you get two cherries.” She winked at them and walked away.

 

Their food came out quickly, was nice and hot. Sam Cooke's 'You Send Me' drifted softly from a retro jukebox in the corner. They were too busy stuffing their faces to talk much, just confirmed with each other that their food was delicious. Then Eren reached over and snaked a fry off of Levi's plate, missing the look the man gave him. A moment later and Eren's fingers stole another one.

“Hey, lay off my fries.” Levi gently slapped his hand and the fry tumbled to the table-top. 

Their eyes met; Eren's wide, Levi's serious.

Then Levi cracked and snorted a laugh. “Fine, you can have that one.” He nodded to the fry on the table between them. 

“Oh, how generous of you.” Eren snatched the fry up with sass and popped it in his mouth. 

“Hey, if you wanted fries you should have ordered some.” 

Levi lifted a couple to his mouth and bit them in half, making a show of how delicious they were, sensuously licking the salt from his lips. 

“Mmmm, so good.” he moaned, eyes on Eren. 

“Mean.” Eren huffed, but couldn't take his eyes off Levi's mouth and swallowed hard, took a sip of his ice water to cool himself off. 

Levi smirked and ate the other half of the fries he was holding, then got to work finishing off his sandwich. Eren went back to his omelette, looking out the window they were next to as he chewed. When he turned back to his plate there was a small pile of fries next to his food. He glanced up to see Levi taking a swig of water, eyes avoiding him.

“Thanks.” He chuckled. 

 

The milkshake arrived with two straws and two cherries. 

“Well now all we need to do is style my hair into a pompadour and go hold hands at the roller rink.” Levi took a sip of the shake. 

Eren snorted and choked on his sip a little, but managed to keep from getting milkshake in his lungs. “Oh my god, I would love to see your hair like that.”

“Never gonna happen.”

They finished the milkshake and ate their cherries, decided to make the meal even more cliché by seeing who could tie their cherry stem into a knot in their mouth first. They pulled the stems out of their mouths at the same time, and Eren felt pretty good about himself for matching Levi's speed until he looked down at the other man's stem.

“How did you do two knots?”

Levi just smirked his sexiest smirk and shrugged. 

They paid, tipped the waitress well, and got back on the road home.

 

Back at Levi's apartment they took turns in the bathroom, freshening up a bit, brushing their teeth. Afterward they found themselves just outside of the bedroom. Levi pushed Eren into the wall, kissed him hard, their mouths cool and minty.

Then he pulled back an inch licking his lips and whispered, “I'll never get over how you thought seahorses were a myth.”

Eren blushed, but retorted with, “And I'll never get over the look on your face when you thought your hand was going to be eaten by a sting ray.”

“Shut up.” Levi mumbled as their lips pressed together again. 

He tasted Eren's mouth, pressing his lips in at different angles, then pulled back with lusty eyes. “What do you want to do now?”

Eren took a deep breath in, eyes just as lust-filled, but smirked and said, “I believe you owe me some scary stories.”

“Ah fuck...” Levi grumbled. “I forgot about that.”

Then he gave Eren a look that could melt butter, brought his lips just millimeters from the brunette's, and slid one hand down over the bulge in his pants. “You sure that's what you want?”

“Uh...” Eren gasped and squeaked, “Yeah?”

“Hrm.” Levi took a step back. “Suit yourself. Go grab the book, let's get this over with.”

 

They sat on the bed propped against a bunch of pillows. Levi took his glasses out, gave Eren a look and a long sigh, then put them on and started reading. 

Eren wasn't sure what he liked more; the way the glasses framed Levi's piercing eyes, black lashes blinking softly as his gaze followed the text, or the silkiness of his voice, low and rich as his mouth formed the words, tongue occasionally wetting his bottom lip. 

They finished a particularly creepy story about a man being followed by something in the woods. It actually gave Eren the chills at one point. Levi went to set the book down, but Eren reminded him that the deal had involved the word 'stories' as in plural, and he resigned to his fate of reading one more.

The second story had kind of a slow start to it, and Eren found himself not actually paying attention to the words Levi was saying, but how he was saying them. His eyes were on Levi's lips, then traveling down to his jaw, the milky white skin of his neck. Before he knew it he had nuzzled his nose in there, inhaling that intoxicating scent of his. 

He brushed his lips along his throat, up by his ear, not really kissing, more like feeling Levi's warmth and the vibrations from his voice as he continued to read. 

Levi's breath hitched as Eren pressed in close to his side, mouth against the sensitive spots on his neck. He stopped reading for just a moment, took a breath, and continued. But Eren was right up in his space, hand wandering down low over his stomach, fingertips just barely tickling under his waistband, sending the blood in his veins down to his groin. His breath was coming in heavier, chest rising and falling. He cleared his throat and continued with the story, voice getting huskier with the arousal he was feeling, the brat had demanded two stories after-all.

Eren was absorbed in the man, drawing his lips and hand over Levi gently, feather-light touches and kisses. God, the way Levi's voice sounded was so hot; low and strained, the way he started to stutter over some words, pausing longer between sentences, like he wasn't quite comprehending what he was saying. He could feel Levi's pulse beating fast under his lips and drew his tongue out, licked at the heartbeat before sealing his lips and sucking, simultaneously pressing his erection into Levi's side.

“Hnnnn, fuck.” Levi moaned, slapping the book shut. He set it on the nightstand. “You just can't make up your mind can you?” He growled. 

Eren's response was to move from Levi's neck to his lips, thread one leg between his and press his hips in again. Levi moaned against his mouth, and Eren felt his hand travel over his sides, the small of his back, and then down to firmly grab his ass. He flicked the metal hoop, drew the tip of his tongue over Levi's bottom lip. Levi granted him entrance and he licked inside the heat of his mouth, reveling in the way he tasted. 

Eren was driving Levi crazy with his aggressive kisses and pressing hips. He could strip him and fuck him right now, but ever since he'd watched Eren reach behind himself and pull that plug out, thinking that he was fingering himself, he couldn't get the idea out of his head. He kissed Eren back hard, then flipped their positions so that he was pinning the brunette to the bed. 

He gave Eren one more lewd kiss, grazing his teeth over his supple bottom lip, then pushed himself up and breathed, “Stay here.”

 

Levi left the room, returned a minute later with a chair, which he set at the foot of the bed.

“What are you doing?” Eren glanced from the chair to Levi, nervous but excited for whatever the man was up to. 

Levi's lips curved. He climbed back onto Eren, one hand on either side if his head, looking down. He leaned in to kiss Eren, but just when their lips barely touched he pulled back, leaving Eren wanting. 

“You're going to pleasure yourself,” Levi explained. “and I'm going to watch.”

He gave Eren a suck to his neck followed by a light nip, then leaned back up to look in his eyes.

Eren's heart was thumping hard now, his breathing had become shaky. Touch himself? While Levi watched? He gulped, his mouth suddenly feeling dry. Sure, he'd jerked himself off before with Levi, but that was in the heat of the moment, during sex. He hadn't done something like this before.

Eren's eyes were shifting back and forth between Levi's, his lips slightly parted. He looked nervous. 

“Don't worry brat, I'm keeping these dorky fucking glasses on while I watch.” He pressed lips against Eren's, then whispered, “Consider it a reward for indulging me.”

Eren breathed a laugh and smiled. “Okay.”

Levi moved like he was leaving the bed, but stopped suddenly and looked down, gaze hungry. 

“Oh and Eren...”

“Yeah?” He gulped.

Levi brought his lips next to Eren's ear and purred, “Go slow for me.” Then gave his neck another quick suck. 

“Yes sir.” Eren breathed out, a shiver cascading down his body. 

 

Eren positioned himself in the center of the bed, a couple pillows behind him to prop him up a little. Once he was situated, he looked back to see Levi leaning comfortably in his chair, arms crossed in front of him, and as promised, glasses still on. The look Levi was giving him was so lascivious that if Eren wasn't already hard he would be now. 

The atmosphere was comfortable as usual; the only light coming from the crimson lamp in the corner, perfect temperature, satin sheets soft beneath him. Despite all that, Eren really didn't know how to begin, and Levi could tell, judging by the quirk to his lips. 

“If it helps, just close your eyes, pretend you're alone in your room.” 

“Okay.” Eren licked his lips and closed his eyes. 

He took a few deeps breaths and began to run his hands over his body, focusing on the way it felt. His hands traveled slow over his clothing, caressing his stomach, waist, then down over his pants to the inside of his thigh. Fuck he was so hard, and now that he'd started touching himself, he was aching for some friction on his dick. But Levi had asked him to go slow, and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to give the man what he wanted. 

He slid his hands back up to his stomach, dragging the fabric of his shirt up to expose tan skin. A groan slipped from his throat, and it wasn't for show. He pushed the shirt up more, slid his right hand underneath, feeling the heat of his own body, the pounding in his chest. His left hand wandered up over his neck and into his own hair as he arched his back a little.

The scent of Levi was all around him on the bed, making him feverish as he took in heavy breaths. God he needed more. He slid his right hand out from under his shirt, moved it lower, over his waistband to palm against his hard-on.

“Uhhnn.” His hips reflexively rose to create more pressure. He rubbed a little harder over his pants. 

 

“Fuck me…” Levi muttered to himself. 

His eyelids hung heavy with want, pupils dilated. He wet his bottom lip with his tongue and bit at his lip ring. He shifted in his chair, unbuttoned and unzipped his black jeans, relieving some of the uncomfortable pressure on his erection. Gray eyes followed Eren's hand as it rubbed between his legs, then slipped back above his pants, fingertips on skin, dipping just under the band.

“Take your shirt off.” Levi was surprised his own voice even worked, barely recognized it, rough with desire. 

Eren's eyes fluttered open, his hand stopping just before it would have disappeared beneath his pants. 

“Yes sir.” He didn't hesitate, leaned up and pealed his shirt over his head, threw it to the side. 

“Mmmm.” Levi smirked. “As you were.”

Eren's lips curved and he kept his eyes open this time, running his hands over his bare chest and stomach, his lower abdomen, where they stopped and unfastened his pants. He caressed a hand down over himself, beneath his underwear, wrapped his fingers around his own throbbing cock and gave it a couple of firm strokes.

“Uhhhhnn.” Eren groaned out, throwing his head back. 

Levi almost jumped his bones right then, hands gripping his thighs in self control. 

“Fucking hell.” He breathed. “Just...get rid of it. Take everything off.” He was borderline incoherent with lust and Eren wasn't even naked yet. 

Eren let out a breathy chuckle, then maneuvered out of the rest of his clothes. He slid his hand back down and continued where he'd left off, grip wrapping around his dick; slowly stroking from the base to the head. He glanced down to see Levi leaning back in the chair, fingers running through his black locks, his other hand palming over the bulge still hidden by black skinny jeans and gray boxer-briefs. Turns out Levi wasn't the only one getting a show. 

Eren moaned at the sight. It was almost too much, so he released the hold on his length and repositioned himself slightly, confident enough now, or rather, horny enough now, to take things to the next level. 

Levi's mind seemed to be headed in the same direction, because he leaned forward, snatched something up and tossed it onto the bed. Lube. Then he grabbed the hem of his shirt and stripped it off, Eren's eyes locked on the way his muscles moved.

He leaned back in his chair, eyes eager. “Don't mind me.” He gave Eren a devilish smirk. 

Eren blushed hard, but he grabbed the bottle and slicked some lube onto his fingers. He hesitated for a moment, then moved his hand down, shifted into the right position and rubbed a single finger against his own asshole. He was breathing so hard now, heart ready to burst. 

“Don't you dare look away.” 

Eren kept his eyes on the man, could see Levi's thick cock now as his pale fingers stroked over it, pants and underwear still partially in the way. It was sexy as hell, and Eren had a fleeting image of himself just going over there and straddling him.

He swallowed hard and let out a shaky breath, pushed a finger inside his own heat.

“Hnnnn.” He whined, bit his lip, kept his eyes from closing. 

He didn't waste any time, pushed all the way inside, pulled out and then thrust back in with a second finger. He was writhing on the bed now, moans breaking from his lips, fingering himself hard with one hand, the other stroking up and down his length. All the while he kept his eyes glued to Levi, watched as the raven haired man fell to pieces on the chair; gripping his own cock, hair a mess from how he kept running his fingers through it, lips parted with soft moans and pants, and then those eyes on Eren - like Levi could fuck him just by looking at him. 

Eren was losing his mind.

“Levi...” He whined. 

“What do you need brat?” He purred with that silky voice. 

“Y-you...I need you...so bad.” Eren pleaded. “Please, fuck me. Hard.” 

“Mmmm.” Levi groaned and stood. “God, I thought you'd never ask.” He removed the glasses and set them on the chair.

The jeans and boxer-briefs were on the floor in a second, Levi crawling onto the bed. He slicked himself up with lube just as fast and then positioned himself between Eren's thighs. As soon as Eren's fingers were out Levi was thrusting in deep, both of them groaning and gasping for air. 

“You want it rough?” Levi raised an eyebrow at him. 

Eren nodded, panting, words lost to him.

Levi ran a hand over Eren's heaving chest, rough palm possessing his ribs, his pecs, his throat, and then grasping his jaw, during which he teased Eren's ass with gentle thrusts in and out. He gripped Eren's jaw hard, leaned over him so their lips were nearly touching.

“I can give you rough.” He growled

Levi devoured Eren's lips, slipped his tongue inside, practically fucked his mouth while simultaneously fucking his ass. Strong hands held Eren in place, prevented him from sliding away, making the friction between them that much more intense. 

Eren was moaning against Levi's mouth, fingers clutching him any and everywhere. They broke the kiss for air.

“Oh god...yes...” Eren moaned. “Your cock is...s-so good.”

Levi was so gone, utterly lost in Eren's tight heat and those shameless cries of pleasure. His skin was feverish with heat, beads of sweat breaking with the vigorous motions of his hips. He couldn't help the soft grunts of pleasure breaking from him, was too wrapped up in carnal desire to even care about anything but just fucking Eren into the mattress. 

He thought for sure he was going to come first, felt that pressure building in his core. As soon as the thought fleeted across his mind however, Eren twitched beneath him, muscles clenching, and pearly cum shot between them.

“Fuck!” Eren gasped, throwing his head back. 

He clutched Levi tight, orgasm rippling throughout his body, couldn't even breath as the pleasure wrecked him. 

Levi was already so close and the sight of Eren coming, the way his body shuddered, sent him over the edge. He thrust into Eren hard, hands trembling as sweet release overtook him. A debauched cry broke from his throat and he came hard, ass and thigh muscles twitching him forward, relentless with the need to satisfy every last nerve. 

He could barely breath when the spasms were finally replaced by pure euphoria, seeping out through his veins, leaving him without strength. It was all he could do not to collapse onto Eren, shaking arms holding him above the brunette as he tried to get his breathing under control. 

When he felt like he could actually speak again, he looked down and asked, “You okay?” with a hoarse voice.

Eren nodded, eyes watery, he was in borderline tears again, smiling up at Levi through gasps for air. “I think...you may have...” - he swallowed- “actually killed me this time.”

“I sure hope not,” He smirked back. “cause I plan on wrecking you again in the very near future.”

Eren smiled and leaned up to press their mouths together for a quick kiss, lips sticky with thirst.

“I am so fucking thirsty right now.” Levi licked his lips. 

“Me too.” Eren laughed. 

“Come on, let's go get some water.” Levi chuckled back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys know how much I enjoy music by now, and I like to share it with you.
> 
> Sexy songs I listened to while writing the smut:
> 
> Trentemoller - Moan  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t64m5Lm7CrA
> 
> Thriftworks - Moon Juice  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2TV_YXma2E
> 
> Sevdaliza - Human  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t7SclAXoQw
> 
> (I find Moon Juice and Human particularly sexy.)
> 
>  
> 
> This song I just kind of liked the mood of it for pre-sexy time or maybe if this chapter was a film this song would play while the credits rolled? I dunno, give it a listen if you like. :
> 
> Cigarettes After Sex - Nothing's Gonna Hurt You Baby  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2LQdh42neg
> 
> Oh, also this is the song playing on the Jukebox in the diner:  
> Sam Cooke - You Send Me  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrwfB4aAZZc
> 
>  
> 
> *Adding this note on 4/28. Just want to give you all a heads up that I'm going to be travelling for the next 40 days and won't be able to write during that time. So, it's going to be a bit of a wait for the next update, my apologies, but hopefully my travels will fill me full of fresh inspiration that I can transfer into my writing. Until June friends.


	29. Get Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooo! I know, I said I'd see you in June and here it is July, my apologies. 
> 
> Well here's a new chapter! This one was really hard for me to write, one because I was out of the habit from being on vacation, two because I empathize with the characters way too much so my heart was hurting, and three because I was going through a musical drought and you all know how much I depend on music for inspiration. But I made it through! I hope you enjoy the chapter, and please drop me a comment to let me know what you think!

Eren woke to find himself alone in Levi's bed. Gentle sunlight streaked across the crinkled sheets. He rolled onto Levi's side of the bed and buried his face in the pillow; the spot no longer warm from his body heat and Eren sleepily wondered where the man was. 

He turned onto his back, yawned and stretched, then sat up to look around the room. 

Mmm, Sunday. 

He had grown to really like Sundays, ever since the one Armin dragged him to the bar, the Sunday where his jaw dropped at the site of Levi up on a stage, singing his guts out, like his lyrics were constructed from his heart. 

Eren collected his clothes, smiling at how they were folded neatly, sitting atop the dresser. He distinctly remembered leaving them in a pile on the floor. He slipped his pants and shirt on, then quietly opened the bedroom door and crept down the small hallway, steps cautious and light. He loved catching glimpses of Levi when he thought he was alone, was hoping that one day he'd catch the man doing something embarrassing, surly he couldn't be so perfect. 

What he found wasn't something embarrassing but something beautiful. The sun was illuminating one side of Levi as he sat on the couch, pale skin glowing in an angelic way. A pen, notebook, and cup of tea sat on the coffee table in front him, steam curling into the air. He wore only a pair of gray drawstrings pants, his arms resting on his legs, head forward, eyes closed, and lips moving almost silently, almost. 

Eren held his breath and focused on listening. A soft melody drifted from Levi in words that were too quiet to make out, then his lips pressed together and Eren could hear him humming, his right hand moving ever so slightly to a silent beat. 

The brunette smiled and quietly lowered himself so he was sitting on the floor at the end of the hallway, knees up, hands and chin resting on them while he watched. 

Levi continued humming in that way with his eyes closed, repeating the melody a couple times. Then his eyes opened, sharp with thought, and he immediately snatched the pen up and wrote something down. His hand set the pen down and he seemed to be mulling over what he'd written. 

Eren sat unblinking, waiting to be caught, but Levi just shut his eyes and began the melody again; this time a little louder, but with words that were still too aerial to be defined. 

The sound stopped and Levi blinked his lids open once more, brushed his hair away from his face. He was about to go for the pen again when his eyes snapped to Eren still sitting on the floor. His body tensed in alarm.

“Jesus Eren.” He ran a hand through his hair and huffed, muscles relaxing at the familiar visage. “What are you doing?”

“Watching you.” Eren smiled, feeling a little silly. He exaggerated his expression, making it a little sinister, like he was some sort of predator.

“Tch.” Levi couldn't quite keep his lips from curling. “Fucking creepy woodland creature, with your creepy forest eyes.”

Eren laughed and his face went back to normal. “What are _you_ doing?”

“Uh, I woke up with this melody in my head, just had to get it out.” He glanced down to the paper he'd been writing on. 

“I like it.” Eren stood up and walked into the room. “Well, what I heard you humming anyway.”

“Thanks.” 

Levi looked away in that way that he did when he was embarrassed but trying not show it. Eren loved that look. 

“I imagine you'll be coming to the show tonight?” 

“Of course. Somebody's gotta keep all your fans at bay.” Eren joked. 

“Tch.” Levi rolled his eyes. “You know you really don't have to come to every show. I'm not going to be offended or something if you don't.”

“I like watching you perform. It's like I get to see a part of you that you won't show me otherwise.” Eren regretted saying the words as soon as they left his mouth. They weren't intended to be accusatory, but he could tell by the slight shift in Levi's expression that he'd struck a nerve of some sort.

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, I mean...” Eren was looking around awkwardly, trying to think of the 'right' thing to say. “...it's just...you won't really talk to me, about a lot of stuff...”

“Like what?” Levi raised an eyebrow. “My past?”

“Um, yeah, I guess.” Eren shrugged a little, really hating the way this conversation was going, but any time he'd ever tried to talk to Levi about himself he avoided the subject, pushed Eren away in a sense. It just fueled Eren's desire to get to know the Levi under the surface, the one who wrote the songs so full of hurt and anger and sadness. 

“I thought you said that shit doesn't matter to you?”

“It doesn't, not in that way.” Eren held his hands up, acute to Levi's defensive tone. “Just, forget I said anything. Sorry for bringing it up.” 

Levi gave Eren a long serious look. 

There was more to be said, no doubt about that, but there were two voices in Levi's head having their own argument right now. Half of him jumped straight to the anger he was so familiar with, wanted to argue with Eren, push him away, re-board up the windows Eren had managed to clear in the past few months. But the other half, the more reasonable one, felt guilt, because he knew what Eren meant, knew that Eren was just trying to get closer to him, and it wasn't fair for him to keep him at such a distance. He didn't quite know how to explain to Eren however, that he couldn't help it, that anytime he wanted to let Eren in his voice refused to work, refused to form the words, words that meant reliving everything all over again. Words that would reveal what kind of person he truly was. No, used to be. 

“Fine.” It was a cop-out, but it was all Levi could manage at the moment. 

Eren was a mixture of relieved, disappointed, and surprised that Levi was willing to drop the subject just like that. But then again, it was what he was best at when it came to talking about himself. 

“Fine, okay.” Eren took a deep breath and scratched the back of his head. “Uh, well, I should probably get going. You sure you don't want to come?” He was glad he had a way out of the tension that now hung between them, as he'd promised to meet up with Armin and Mikasa for brunch today. 

“Yeah. I should finish writing this.” Levi nodded back at the pen and paper. “Plus I need to make up for the workout I skipped on Friday.”

He'd originally declined Eren's invitation last night because he knew how much Eren valued his time with his two best friends, and he didn't want to detract from that. He'd been keeping Eren to himself most weekends since they'd gotten together and he was sure Armin and Mikasa would appreciate some alone time with the brunette.

“Okay. Um, see you tonight?” It was a question now because Eren wasn't really sure if Levi would want him there after this strange conversation.

“Yeah, I'll pick you up on my way.”

“Alright.” Eren gave a small smile, stepped up and placed a timid kiss on Levi's cheek, then muttered, “Sorry again, for...” 

For what? For trying to get closer to you? For being honest?

“Don't worry about it.” 

Levi inwardly winced at the bitterness in his own tone, because it wasn't meant for Eren. It was born out of irritation with his own self for completely failing at communication. 

 

Eren left feeling a little frustrated, questioning whether he should have pushed the topic more. But Levi had a point. He remembered that night, their heart-to-heart in the dark, when Levi admitted his fear of relationships, his lack of intimacy with anyone. Eren had quite literally told Levi that night that it was up to him if he ever wanted to share his past, and here Eren had just complained about him not talking about it. But the more time he spent with Levi the more he wanted to know about him. He knew Levi was suffering on some level, the nightmares alone gave that away, and he just wanted to be able to help.

 

After Eren left, Levi sat back in front of the pen and paper. He stared at it for a long time, then finally picked the pen up and wrote something down. He read it, scribbled it out and stared some more. He wrote something else. Scowled at it.

“Fuck!” He chucked the pen across the room. It hit the wall and fell to the floor, leaving a small ink mark behind. He grasped at his hair and growled to himself. Then his hands relaxed, he let out a long sigh, collected the pen from the floor and wiped the smudge off the wall. 

He changed into his exercise clothes and ran his typical route. 

Something about the abandoned warehouses, the rusting metal, broken fences, and graffiti felt like home. That should probably bother him, but it didn't, it felt familiar. Perhaps because in some way those things were a reflection of his insides.

He knew what it felt like to be broken, abandoned. He also knew how to become numb to those feelings, bury them deep, mask them with hard eyes and apathy. And that's exactly what he'd been doing for so many years now, freeing them only through his music when they threatened to break loose.

But bright smiles, granola bars, and tender kisses to the cheek…

He was still getting to know those things. Had no mask constructed for them. In some ways, though it made no sense, it was like they hurt worse. Maybe it was because more than anything, Levi knew life's impermanence. 

 

By the time evening rolled around Levi was itching to get on-stage. His frustration and anger from earlier had condensed into a melancholy anxiety. After his work-out he'd taken an extra long shower, drank a protein shake, then ended up sitting in front of his bookcase dusting the spines off. Occasionally he'd pull an unread book from the shelf, only to read the very last sentence, wondering if it meant the ending was happy or sad. 

He still held some tension in his demeanor when he pulled in front of Eren's apartment, but when Eren pushed through the door outside, with his signature white smile and care-free quality, he started to forget what had been weighing on him so heavily. 

“Hey sexy.” Eren grinned. 

Levi's expression softened a little. “Well, someone's in a good mood.”

“Why wouldn't I be? I got to eat delicious food with my best friends earlier, and now I get to spend the night with the sultriest singer in Shiganshina.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“Ugh.” Levi made a face at the moniker. “Don't make me vomit while I'm wearing a helmet. Get on.”

“Whatever you say old man.” Eren took the other helmet from Levi, climbed on behind him and snuggled in, satisfied with himself for easing the tension he'd seen on Levi's face. 

 

Truth be told, Eren had been in a pretty foul mood himself when he met his friends for brunch, keeping quiet with a mopey look on his face. Of course that didn't last long, not with Armin and Mikasa pestering him until he caved and spilled his frustration about Levi. 

Not knowing Levi very well, Mikasa let Armin takes the reigns for advice on this one, and he was more than willing. As usual, Armin was able to help Eren understand things in a different light, after-all he knew a lot about Levi just from Eren talking about him constantly at home. 

“Maybe you're being a little impatient Eren.” Armin had said. “He seems like a really reserved guy, but you guys have already gotten so close in such a short time, maybe it's freaking him out a little bit.”

“Yeah, maybe you're right.” Eren had responded. 

Armin had a way of piecing things together for Eren that just made everything clearer, more simple. He'd resolved to forget the awkwardness of the morning and just let Levi take his time opening up. 

 

The show didn't start for another hour, but already the club was crowded, and there was an energy buzzing through the atmosphere that was infectious. 

As usual, Eren helped unload equipment from Donovan's van and helped them set up. He was getting pretty good at remembering what cord plugged into where and how Ymir liked her drums set up. When they were finished and moved on to a sound check, Eren dissolved into the crowd to find a place to watch. 

After the sound check Levi gathered the band together off to the side for a quick talk before starting. 

“I know it's been a while, but how do you guys feel about playing 'Cut' and 'Vicious' tonight?” Levi looked around at the group. 

Ymir looked surprised. “You never want to play those.”

Levi shrugged. “Guess I'm in the mood tonight.”

Donovan was bouncing on the balls of his feet excitedly. “Oh my god, really? Fuck yes! You know I love playing the brutal shit. I'm totally in.”

“I'm with Don.” Bertholt chimed in. “They're really fun to play.”

“Yeah, I'm cool with it.” Ymir added. 

“Great. We'll keep the set the same, just put 'Cut' first and 'Vicious' last. Sound good?” Levi asked.

The group nodded in agreement and then moved to the stage to start. 

If Levi didn't know how to talk to Eren, he could at least share these two songs with him. Their lyrics were too true, the emotion of them too real, and so he had shelved them a while ago. He'd have to be careful not to kill his voice right away with 'Cut' though, he hadn't screamed at that level in a while. 

When Levi finally looked out at the crowd from the stage the sight almost took his breath away. 

Holy shit.

There were a lot of people there, far more than any other show they'd played. In fact Levi couldn't see a single bit of the floor of the club, the mass of people crowded all the way back to the bar. He scanned the audience, wasn't able to catch where Eren was, but knew he was out there somewhere.

God, he was almost nervous, but maybe it was just the contagious energy of the crowd washing up onto the stage and seeping into him. He didn't feel like an introduction, was too antsy to get right into it.

He nodded to Ymir, the go-ahead, and heavy drums started up. Bertholt followed closely with his bass, and then Donovan came in right on time, the sound harsh and raw, just how it should be. His band-mates were right, it was a fun song to perform despite the weight it carried for him. 

 

Eren somehow managed to squeeze in kind of close to the front. He may have been a little aggressive pushing his way through the crowd after grabbing a beer from the bar, but hey, this was his boyfriend's band, he wasn't going to watch from the back.

He watched Levi chat with the band off to the side and wondered what they were saying, mostly because Donovan was bouncing on the balls of his feet like an excited child. But then again the guy was always high energy. They took the stage, then started. 

As soon as the song began Eren knew it was one he hadn't heard before. The intensity of it silenced the crowd immediately; conversations stopping mid-sentence, all eyes turning toward the stage. 

Levi's vocals started out low, almost a whisper, but a whisper infused with pure venom.

_Drunk on insanity_  
_delusions drip from inside_  
_tape me up_  
_won't let me hide_

_You carve me up_  
_shape me how you like_  
_put a blade in my hand_  
_make me fight_

The words sent a shiver down Eren's spine. Levi looked up for a moment, eyes filled with a fire Eren had never seen before.

A breath.

Then everything picked up, guitars and drums practically blowing the audience away. Levi snatched the mic from the stand and his lyrics turned to screams that matched the ferocity of the instruments.

Eren's eyes widened and he felt like he couldn't breath for a moment. Damn. He'd seen the rage inside Levi manifest on-stage before in the form gut-wrenching screams, but this was another level. 

His beer was almost knocked from his hand as those nearest the front started to bounce to the music, heads nodding, fists pumping in the air. Eren caught sight of a couple of the girls from the after-party they'd gone to. The beginnings of a mosh pit were starting to form and he had no desire to get caught up in that mess. He and a handful of others backed themselves away from the wilder audience members.

By the end of the song though the vigor had rippled to the back and not a single person wasn't at least nodding their head to beat, Eren included. 

Levi finished the song with one last chilling scream and the drums and guitars stopped. Eren could tell he was a little out of breath, but he looked up and shook the hair from his eyes.

He motioned to the people smashed up near the front and said, “Hey, don't hurt each other.” 

They responded with a loud cheer, and Eren caught the half-smirk on Levi's lips as they started in on the second song. 

 

That energy continued throughout the whole show, ricocheting back and forth between the band and the audience. The last song was another one Eren had never heard before. Levi told the audience it was called 'Vicious', and that's exactly what it was. Savage and visceral, but carrying with it a hedonistic quality, like a guilty pleasure. And God did Levi look so sexy singing it. 

As the crowd cheered at the end Eren saw Levi scanning the audience. He waved but his arm was lost in a sea of other arms raised in applause. Levi disappeared off to the side and behind the stage, and a minute later Eren's phone buzzed in his pocket.

Levi: Come to the back. I'd be like a kid in a fucking corn-maze trying to find you out there. 

Eren snickered at the image that conjured and pushed his way through the mass of people. When he was back near the front he locked eyes with one of the girls he'd seen earlier, the one who'd tried to lift Levi's shirt up at the party in fact.

“Hey you're that guy from the party. The one who kis -” 

“Yep.” He could've just kept walking, probably should have, but something possessive surged in his chest and he added, “And he's all mine, so you can keep you hands to yourself next time.”

“Ugh, it would be so hot.” She sighed and looked to her friend, who just blushed bright red. 

Eren crinkled his brow in confusion and continued on his way to the back. 

He had to wander through a corridor stepping around some crates and boxes, but eventually arrived in an open area in the back to find the band in the process of shlepping their equipment back in the van. Levi walked back inside the building through a backdoor and spotted Eren who strode right up to him. 

“Oh my god, you were incredible. The whole thing was amazing. I've never seen a crowd like that before, they were going nuts.” Eren was still buzzing from the collective energy of the show. 

“Yeah.” Levi breathed a small smile, then his eyes locked with Eren's, a voracious look in them. 

Eren knew that look, the one that ignited his insides, so he had a split second to brace himself before Levi's lips were on his own, hands claiming him. He had absolutely no objection to what was happening, but his feet stumbled back at the sudden impact, and Levi's feet followed, and before he knew it his back hit a wall. Eren could barely keep up with Levi's aggressive kissing, parted his lips and felt Levi's tongue tease inside, hot and sensual. God, if he kept this up Eren was going to have a full-on boner in a minute.

Levi broke their lips apart and moved the kisses to Eren's neck, pinning his hands to the wall at the same time. He sucked and nibbled lightly and then his lips were next to Eren's ear, voice low and a little hoarse from the singing and screaming. 

“Uhnn, I don't know why but I'm so horny right now. You drive me fucking insane Eren.”

Tingles shot down Eren's spine and straight to his groin. “Hnnn.” He bit at his lip, would've let Levi take him right there against the wall in the backroom of a club, but Ymir walked back inside for another batch of equipment.

“Gross guys, if you're going to do that go somewhere else.” She made a disgusted face, but it seemed counterfeit. 

Levi unpinned Eren and turned around. “Maybe we will.” 

He grabbed Eren by the hand and started pulling him to the door. “I was going to do the nice thing and help finish loading shit, but not anymore.”

“Good luck with that one.” Ymir said with a wink as Eren was dragged past her. “He's looking feisty tonight.”

Eren blushed and squeaked, “Bye Ymir. Sorry for not helping.”

 

It took Eren a lot of self-restraint not to grope Levi on the ride to his apartment. They hurried inside and into the elevator, pouncing on each other before the doors even closed. Ymir was right, Levi was definitely in a feisty mood tonight, taking complete control, licking into Eren's mouth, biting at his lips. Eren was more than happy to let Levi ravage him, glad that the man wasn't in a bad mood from earlier. The show seemed to have released the rest of the tension that had been lingering. 

They made their way down the hall, Levi quickly unlocked his door, and they moved inside, kicking their shoes off. Eren was still stepping out of his last shoe when Levi attacked him again, pushing him backwards into the living room and up against the wall, one hand curved around the back of his neck, the other creeping it's way under Eren's shirt.

Their mouths were locked in a deep kiss, Eren moaning low against Levi's lips. Levi hadn't been kidding, he was apparently really horny. Eren was glad for that, because under less lust-filled circumstances Levi probably would have insisted on showering the sweat of the show off of him. This way Eren got to revel in Levi's delicious smell, the soap and cologne and sweat and skin all mixed together like a cocktail of enticement. 

Eren broke their lips apart to taste the skin of Levi's neck, kissing and sucking. Levi took that opportunity to strip first Eren of his shirt and then pull his own off and throw it to the side. They took each other in for moment, breaths coming in heavy.

“Maybe I should go shower, I'm all sweaty from the -” Levi started.

“No.” Eren shook his head and licked his lips. “I love it when you're all grungy like this, it's so sexy.”

Levi raised an eyebrow. “Suit yourself brat.”

He pressed into Eren again, lips coming together, sucking at his bottom lip, hands trailing over Eren's chest down to palm over Eren's growing erection before unfastening his pants and yanking them down. 

“Ah.” Eren gasped. “Should we move to the bedroom?”

“No.” Levi's voice was low and gravelly, driving Eren crazy. “I'm going to take you right here against this wall.”

That shot a jolt straight to Eren's groin. “O-okay, sir.”

“Turn around.”

Eren stepped out of his pants and complied. Levi put a hand to his bare back and roughly pushed him against the wall, slapped his ass hard. Eren yelped at the sting and surprise.

“Don't move.”

Levi left the room and came back a moment later. He paused at a distance to rake his eyes over Eren, admiring his smooth tan skin, his firm ass still covered by boxer-briefs. 

“Let me see all of you.”

Eren stripped himself of the last article of clothing, still facing the wall. 

“Mmm.” Levi hummed, drinking the sight in with one last sweep of his eyes. “Very nice.”

Then Levi was right behind Eren who received another slap to his ass, the smack on his bare skin much more satisfying. He groaned and then his world went dark as Levi slipped a cloth around his head covering his eyes and tying it snugly. 

Levi's hands slid down his arms then, nails raking gently. He moved Eren away from the wall a little, pulled his wrists together and bound them in front of him. 

“Arms up.”

Eren raised his arms and Levi grabbed his sides and shoved him against the wall again. He was breathing heavy, the lack of sight and movement focusing all his attention on the way Levi kissed and sucked at his shoulder blades and the nape of his neck, giving him chills. Slender hands trailed down his sides and his hips, then to his ass. 

“I can tell that your cock is liking this,” Levi purred in his ear. “but how about the rest of you?”

“Yes.” Eren breathed.

“I'm sorry what was that?”

Another loud slap to Eren's ass. 

“Ah! Yes Sir! I like it, all of me likes it Sir.” He panted, feeling the sting of Levi's palm. “So much.”

“God, you're so fucking beautiful.” He gave Eren a suck and bite to his neck, leaving a mark. “Spread your legs a bit.”

Eren did as he was told, bringing his height down a few inches, bound arms still resting against the wall above his head. He heard the sound of Levi's pants unzipping, the shuffling of fabric, then the snap of the lube bottle. He licked his lips and waited for the touch he knew was coming. He still flinched a little though when he felt Levi's finger touch at the sensitive spot between his ass cheeks.

“Sorry, it's a little cold.”

“It's okay.” 

Eren smiled then gasped as the finger pushed inside of him completely. His hard-on twitched against the wall. 

Levi stroked inside of Eren with his one finger, lust growing at how hot he felt and the way Eren's muscles clenched and unclenched as he tried to relax. As soon as Eren seemed adjusted he slipped a second finger in, stretching him further. 

“Ahh.” Eren moaned and his feet slid out a little more. “Sometimes...I still can't believe that you actually kissed me back that night, that you actually brought me here...and let me suck your dick.”

Eren was struggling to speak, panting between words as Levi gently finger fucked him, but he continued.

“I was so...uhn...afraid that you were going to get mad...and push me away.”

“You know...” Levi's lips were next to his ear then, voice husky with want, smirk audible. “about a week before that night, we were closing together, in the backroom, and you reached up to get some pitchers off the highest shelf.”

Levi's fingers continued as he spoke, then swiveled and stroked that sweet spot inside of Eren. He moaned and almost melted to the floor, but held himself together, desperately wanting to hear Levi's story. 

“Your shirt rode up and your jeans were riding kind of low, so I caught a glimpse of your stomach and that line, you know, the 'v' or sex lines or whatever they're called. And god, I started having some really dirty thoughts about you.”

“R-really?” Eren panted, Levi's fingers and voice making him lose his mind.

“Yeah.” Levi breathed a laughed. “I tried not to think about it, almost succeeded, but later that night after we locked up, you were slicing lemons for the iced tea and you slipped and cut your finger. I turned to ask if you were okay, but you looked at the blood coming out of your fingertip and then put your finger in your mouth, sucked the blood off and then looked up at me. Uhn fuck, I couldn't handle that, so I left the room and avoided you the rest of the night because all I could think about was ripping your clothes off.”

Eren didn't think he could be more turned-on, but Levi's little confession had managed to do just that. 

“Hnnn.” He whined. “Fuck me now.”

Levi swiftly pulled his fingers out and slapped Eren's ass harder than before, eliciting a sharp cry from the brunette.

“Try again.”

“Please.” Eren panted. “Fuck me Sir, I need your cock.”

“Much better.”

Eren heard the snap of the lube bottle again, waited for it, still blind and bound at Levi's mercy. He felt one of Levi's hands grab his hip, holding him in place, and soon after that pressure on his tight hole, pushing inside. He was a mess, heart pounding, slit leaking against the wall, light-headed as he adjusted to Levi's girth.

Behind him Levi's lips were parted in heavy breaths, eyes blinking slow, drunk on desire as he watched his hard length disappear inside of Eren. “Fuck.”

Once he was all the way inside, he pressed himself in tight, smashing Eren against the wall.

“How do you want me to fuck you Eren?” He purred, restraining the movement of his hips for the moment. 

“Ah, I...” Eren was having a hard time forming coherent thoughts. “Hard. Fast. Just fuck me up. Please Sir.”

“My pleasure.”

Levi pulled out almost the whole way, then thrust back in rough, slamming Eren against the wall. Again, and again. His left hand dug into Eren's hip, his right slid up over Eren's bare back, fingers ghosting around his throat before tangling into chocolate locks and tugging Eren's head back while thrusting deep inside again. 

“Like this?” Levi growled in his ear, losing himself in the ecstasy of claiming Eren's body. 

“Uhn! God yes!” Eren moaned. “Levi, you feel so good inside me.”

He loved hearing Eren's voice broken with passion, loved the way his body looked and felt pinned between him and the wall, arms bound, skin feverish under his touch. He rocked his hips forward and back, ass muscles flexing, started sucking and biting at Eren's neck, hand still tugging at his hair. 

Eren's moans were getting louder and louder, and Levi was sure his neighbors could hear them fucking, hear the brunette's desperate cries. Come to think of it…

He glanced away from Eren's nakedness and saw that he hadn't shut the curtains on any of the large living room windows or the door to the balcony. Oh well.

“I hope you don't mind being on display, because I forgot to close the curtains.” He whispered next to Eren's cheek, his thrusts not slowing in the slightest. 

“I-I don't care.” Eren licked his lips. “You can take me – uhn – o-out on the sidewalk if you want.”

Levi chuckled at that, kissed at Eren's neck some more and forgot all about their unintentional exhibitionism. 

 

Meanwhile in the building across the street, a young woman named Valentine stood up from her computer to grab a drink from the kitchen. When she passed back by the kitchen window she did a double-take, stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face the window, mouth dropping open at the sight she beheld. She did not return to her computer.

 

The two of them were a panting mess, hair disheveled, beads of sweat breaking out. Levi had found just the right angle, thrusting over Eren's prostate, showing him no mercy. Eren's cries were becoming increasingly wanton, his fingernails digging into his own palms, arms braced against the wall as Levi destroyed him, just as he'd asked.

Eren's cock was rubbing between his stomach and the wall. He could feel that tightness growing between his legs, the tension threatening to release. 

“Ah! Levi, I-”

“Don't you dare come on that wall.” Levi growled and tugged a little harder at Eren's hair.

“Uhhn.” He whined, but bit his lip and held it back.

Levi's breath was hot on his ear then, voice so thick and sensual you could pour it over pancakes.

“You're going to fuck my mouth when I'm finished fucking your ass.”

“Oh god, h-how can you...expect me not to c-come when you talk like that?” Eren was desperately trying to hold his orgasm back. 

“Suck it up brat.”

“Fuck.”

Eren was barely hanging onto his last shred of control, Levi's body pressing into him rough. Then he felt Levi's nails dig into the skin on his hip, heard his breath quicken, his thrusts becoming more instinctual, and knew that he was almost there.

“Eren...I, uhn ah...I'm...fuck...” 

His words devolved into guttural moans, his grasp on Eren tightening, pulling him close as his body shuddered, cock twitching deep inside Eren. He held Eren there tight for a few moments as euphoria dripped over him, trying to catch his breath. Then he gently pulled out and took a step back.

“Turn around.” His voice was wrecked. 

Eren pushed off the wall and semi-stumbled around, Levi reaching out to steady him. The blindfold was removed and suddenly Eren could see again. Levi was on his knees looking like sex incarnate, skin glistening, chest still heaving. His tongue licked out to wet his flushed lips and there was no need for words because his eyes said it all. 

Eren stepped toward him, then realized his arms were still bound in front of him, he nodded to them. “What about-”

“Nope.” Levi said with a smirk. “I'm waiting...” He licked his lips again and left his lips parted in invitation, reminding Eren of just how desperate he was to come. 

He looped his arms around the back of Levi's neck and timidly aligned his hard-on with Levi's mouth, gently brushing his lips with the tip, pre-cum smearing across them. 

“Use me Eren.” He licked his tongue across the slit, saliva and pre-cum bridging the gap as he drew it back, his silver eyes were almost hypnotic. 

Dear god did this raven-haired man made him weak in the knees.

“Yes Sir.” Eren breathed, then dropped all hesitation and pushed his dick inside Levi's mouth, pulling him in with his bound arms. 

He moaned, eyes fluttering at the sensation of Levi's hot mouth encircling him, that skilled tongue licking around his shaft. Any restraint that he had left was quickly overcome by absolute need. He thrust into Levi's mouth harder and harder, getting lost in the pleasure. He watched through heavy lids as Levi took all of him, somehow managing to hold it together while Eren pushed in deep, into his throat and pulled back out, then in again, and again. 

Saliva dripped from the corners of his mouth and Eren could tell that he was struggling to breath. He was going to try and ease off, but Levi flicked his eyes up to meet his then and he could tell that the man was enjoying himself just as much as he was. That look just made him pump faster and rougher. The room was filled with lewd noises; Eren's moans, the wet sounds of sex, and low groans from Levi's throat. 

Eren wished this could go on forever but he was already so close when they'd started. His movements were becoming more frantic, his wrists struggling against the cloth wrapped around them. He managed to twist his right hand free and immediately dug his fingers into Levi's hair, hand wrapping around the back of his head, feeling the bristly part of his undercut. His left hand – cloth still dangling from it- gripped the base of Levi's neck. He thrust in deep, felt the tip of his cock hit the back of Levi's throat, mind far past the point of considering that Levi might be mad about him wriggling out of his restraint. 

He pulled out and thrust in just as deep. Levi made a muffled choking sound and Eren could feel the muscles of his throat reflexively tighten. That was it. Eren was so gone, no longer really present, like there was so much pleasure pumping through his blood that his body didn't have room for his mind anymore. 

“Now.” He managed to gasp, clutching Levi's hair in his fist.

His hips twitched forward and he came hard.

Levi was breathing heavily through his nose, eyes actually watering, saliva dribbling down his chin as Eren thrust in hard one last time. Hot cum spilled across the back of his tongue and down his throat, the bitter flavor signifying Eren's release. The brunette shuddered a few times, twitching inside Levi's mouth, hands still clutching his neck and hair.

When the last of his release rippled through him Eren let go of Levi. His legs were too weak to hold him and he collapsed onto his knees, now face to face with Levi. His chest was still heaving as he looked up to see Levi looking absolutely ravaged; eyes watery, gasping for air, lips wet, and hair a complete mess. There was even the tiniest bit of blood trickling from his lip ring. 

Eren's eyes widened as his senses came back to him.

“Oh my god, I'm so sorry.”

“Don't be.” Levi smirked and wiped the spit from his chin with the back of his hand. “You did exactly what I asked you to.”

“You're not mad?”

Levi shook his head. “That was just what I needed.”

He leaned forward, hand grabbing the back of Eren's neck to bring him in for a kiss. It was breathy and wet, tasting of sex and a little like blood as Levi slipped his tongue inside Eren's mouth. 

 

They showered and got ready for sleep, Eren gushing again over how great the show was while Levi tried to hide his flushed cheeks. Once in bed they fell asleep quickly, Eren snuggled up in his favorite spot, hand resting on Levi's chest. 

 

They were just finishing up some tea the next morning, standing in the kitchen when there was a knock on the door. 

Weird. 

Levi's brow knit in confusion. There was no reason for anyone to be knocking on his door. He figured it was probably some solicitor, was just going to ignore it, but the knocking continued. He and Eren exchanged a look.

He swallowed the last of his tea and set the mug on the counter, then turned around and squinted through the peephole. A middle-aged man in a business suit was standing there with an envelope in his hand. 

Levi turned the lock and opened the door.

“Yes?”

“Are you Levi Ackerman?”

“Who's asking?”

“I'm Dan Flinders, government attorney.” He tapped at a badge clipped to his jacket. 

Levi's scowl deepened.

“I'm here on behalf of your uncle, Kenny Ackerman. He passed away in the penitentiary early yesterday morning.”

Levi blinked in surprise. “How?”

“Cardiac arrest. He left this for you.”

The man handed over an envelope. Levi took it slowly with suspicious eyes. 

“Well, that fulfills my responsibility. Details about the funeral will be sent to you via mail. Sorry for your loss.”

“It's not a loss.”

The man didn't know how to respond to that so he just nodded and said, “Thank you for your time.”

He turned to leave and Levi shut the door. 

His heart was beating erratically in his chest, breath coming in shorter and faster. His hands trembled slightly as he ripped the envelope open, now oblivious to the fact that Eren was standing just a few feet away, watching with worried eyes, having heard the whole conversation.

Inside the envelope was a scrap of paper. Levi unfolded it to see his uncle's scratchy handwriting:

_Hey Runt,_

_If you're reading this that means I finally kicked the bucket in this hellhole. Too bad you didn't have the guts to finish what you started and off me yourself. I thought I taught you better than that. Looks like you're the last one standing. But don't worry, if you ever get lonely just take a look at the marks I left you and you'll see that you're never really going to be rid of me._

_Kenny_

His hands were visibly shaking now as he crumpled the paper in his fist and let it fall to the floor. There were so many emotions swirling around inside of him it was overwhelming, but mostly he felt anger, that white hot rage he'd felt back then, and for the first time since that dark night he wished he'd put the knife in him a second time, right in his chest.

He snatched his mug from the counter and hurled it at the wall, his words coming out in a ragged scream. 

“Rot in hell you fucking psychopath!!!”

The mug shattered into a dozen shards, ceramic pieces littering the kitchen floor. 

“Levi.”

Oh right, Eren was still here. 

He was on the verge of a mental breakdown, eyes stinging with the threat of tears, breathing escalating to the point of gasps. He couldn't let Eren see him like this, he didn't even want to be part of this himself; ashamed that such a stupid little note could tear him apart from the inside out. 

“Eren you should go.” He tried to hold it together, reign in his emotional collapse until he was alone. “Please.”

“Levi, what's going on?” Eren took a step forward, concern written all over his face.

“Just go.” He held a hand out, still trembling, as if warning Eren not to come any closer to him.

“No don't do that. Please, why won't you just talk to me?” Eren pleaded.

“I can't.” He choked the words out, voice barely working anymore. He couldn't hold it together much longer.

“Levi please, let me help you.” Eren reached a hand out to touch Levi's shoulder, but he flinched away.

“I am beyond help Eren! Just get out!!” He hated himself for yelling at Eren like that, but he was desperate to be alone now.

The hurt was plain on Eren's face, surprise and sadness quickly followed by anger.

“Fine!” Eren yelled back, stepping into his shoes. “Suffer by yourself!!”

Eren opened the door and slammed it behind him, and Levi could hear his swift steps disappearing down the hallway. He crumpled to his knees, hands clutching his hair, a sob breaking from his throat as hot tears finally spilled down his cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry guys, I know that's a rough ending. 
> 
> As usual here are my musical inspirations for this chapter:
> 
> These two are sexy songs:  
> Tsar B - Swim  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rCHLDJhwyY
> 
> Tsar B - Escalate  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5ur3SD2b8M
> 
> And these kind of just helped me get in the right mood and some of the lyrics are kind of fitting:
> 
> Sam Tinnesz - Play With Fire  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzVQkO92wNw
> 
> Death From Above - Freeze Me (I highly recommend this entire album, it's what brought me out of my musical drought)  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4bsDgZa4ns
> 
> This was on my list to share, but I didn't want to post too many songs. I just relistened to it and it kind of hit me thinking about the end of the chapter. I recommend reading the lyrics:
> 
> Stephen - Crossfire  
> https://youtu.be/eH4F1Tdb040


	30. Spill My Shitty Guts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um, hi everyone. Deepest apologies for peacing out for so long, especially at such a heartbreaking moment in the story. 
> 
> This has been a weird fucking year for me. I've been going through quite a few big life changes in the last few months, and it's been real trying to figure my shit out. But things are finally starting to smooth out, I hope, and I'm starting to get pretty excited about writing again.
> 
> Okay, it's a new chapter, about fuckin time! This chapter is pretty long, about 9k words. It's also pretty heavy. You're going to learn Levi's story, and it's a painful one. The perfectionist in me tells me it's not good enough, that I could write a version of this chapter that would be better, but the perfectionist always says that, and I'd never update if I listened to it all the time. So, I hope that you enjoy it. I'm sorry if it's been so long that you don't even know what the hell is going on in the story at this point. Oh, also, I only proofread once because I'm really anxious to get this out there. I'll try to fix any remaining typos when I read through it again. 
> 
> Please drop a comment if you're up for it, hearing from you guys really makes all the angst involved in writing worth it. 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: pretty much everything, sorry, there's so much heavy stuff going on in this chapter that I just want to be safe and say if you're worried, it might be best to skip this one.

Eren wasn't even seeing his surroundings as his feet carried him, hands clenched at his sides. 

He stepped into the road, jay-walking across the street at his usual spot, his body taking him home on auto-pilot. He remained oblivious to the fact that he was about to get hit by a car until the tires actually squealed to a stop just inches before hitting him. 

He flinched and glared. The adrenaline from the narrow miss just added fuel to the fire, even if it was his own fault. He slapped his palm down on the hood and yelled, “Asshole!” and continued on his way to the sidewalk. 

The driver rolled his window down and yelled, “Hey fuck you!”

Eren flipped him the bird without looking back. 

Before he knew it he was turning the lock to his apartment with no memory of walking up the stairs or even pulling the keys from his pocket. 

He walked inside and slammed the door, threw his keys on the floor and kicked them for good measure. 

Armin peaked out of his room a moment later.

“Hey Eren.” He hadn't quite registered the keys on the floor or the scowl on Eren's face. “All done with my final. I think I didn't pretty well, but we'll see.”

“I don't care about your stupid final.” Eren snapped, clenching and unclenching his hands, unsure of what to do with himself.

Armin blinked at him a little stunned. “Um...wow.”

“I'm sorry I'm sorry.” Eren rushed, looking at his friend now. “I didn't mean that.”

The blonde noticed the keys on the floor then, and the way Eren's hands were balled into fists. 

“Eren what happened? Are you okay?”

“I don't know.” 

Eren started pacing around the living room, rambling to Armin. 

“Everything was fine Armin. Last night was awesome, and this morning we were drinking tea, and this government guy was at the door and he told Levi that his uncle had died in prison. And then he gave him an envelope that his uncle left for him, and when Levi opened it he got really upset and started shaking and then threw his mug at the wall. I think he forgot I was there, and I asked him what was going on but he told me to leave, but I just wanted him to talk to me so bad cuz it looked like he was freaking out. He wouldn't let me touch him Armin and I told him I just wanted to help, and then he yelled at me and told me to get out! So I got mad and yelled back and told him to suffer by himself.”

Eren had started out angry, but as he recounted the interaction his anger melted into a panicked realization of his actions. 

“Oh my god, I said that.” He whined, tugging at his hair. “I told him to suffer by himself. Shit shit shit! I'm an asshole!” 

He started to sink down onto the couch still holding his head. Armin walked over, trying to process everything that had just spilled out of Eren. The brunette was obviously distressed. Armin was about to say something, but-

“I'm such an asshole!” Eren yelled, then suddenly stood up with a wild look in his eyes. “I have to go back over there.” He moved for the door, then stopped and looked around a little bewildered. “Wait. Where are my keys.”

“Whoa Eren, calm down.” Armin grabbed him by the shoulders and started leading him back to the couch. He wasn't entirely clear on the whole story yet, but he knew Eren should not be going anywhere in the state he was in. 

“No Armin, I need to go back.” Eren pulled out of his grasp and spotted his keys on the floor, snatched them up and turned back for the door. “I can't believe I said that! He was freaking out Armin and I just freaked out back at him because I'm a fucking idiot!”

Armin stepped in front of Eren then, blocking the door. He reached up and grabbed Eren's face, forcing him to make eye-contact. 

“Eren listen.” Armin's voice was stern as the brunette blinked back at him. “You're still freaking out. If he's freaking out and you're freaking out, and you go back over there like this it's not going to help anything. You need to relax, okay?”

Eren looked like he was considering Armin's words, but wasn't quite sold yet. 

“Plus,” Armin's tone was gentle now, moving his hands down to Eren's shoulders. “Didn't you just say that he asked you to leave?”

“Yeah.” Eren said weakly. Sanity started to resurface in his eyes. 

“Okay then. Stay here, try to calm down for a little bit, and then call him.”

“Okay okay.” Eren nodded. 

Then tears welled up in his eyes and dripped down his cheeks so quickly that Armin was taken aback. 

“Hey.” Armin wrapped his arms around Eren and hugged him tight. “It's going to be alright, okay?”

“I just feel so bad for him Armin.” Eren cried, resting his head on the blondes shoulder. “He looked like he was in so much pain. I don't think he's ever had anyone be there for him and...and I yelled at him and left. I should have stayed. I should have done what you're doing now. You'd be a much better boyfriend for him.”

Armin breathed a small laugh through his nose. “Nah, I'm too much of a quiet bookworm. I think he likes spunky ones like you.”

“You know he actually reads a lot.” Eren mumbled into Armin's shoulder. “Maybe as much as you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you guys should talk about books sometime.” The normalcy of the conversation was short-lived as Eren's voice cracked. “If we're even still going to be together...”

“Okay, you go sit.” Armin released Eren and nodded to the couch. “Have you eaten yet?”

“No.” Eren trudged over and flopped on the couch.

“Well, I'll make you something and you just...think about what you want to say to him when you call him or something, okay?”

“I'm not hungry.”

“You need to eat something, because you have work in a couple hours and I know that you get too busy to eat sometimes. You can't just go the whole day without eating. I've seen you get hangry and it is not pretty.”

“Whatever.” Eren turned on his stomach and stuffed his face into a couch pillow. “Nooo work! Levi has work too!”

Armin started pulling out ingredients for a sandwich. “Hopefully you guys can work things out before then.”

Eren didn't respond, just whined into the pillow. Then he turned over and bolted into a sitting position, that wild look back in his eyes.

“I'm gonna call him.” 

He pulled his phone from his pocket, determination on his face as he unlocked the screen, and Armin barely made it over in time to snatch the phone from his hands. 

“No, not yet.” Armin pocketed the phone. “You're still freaking out Eren. Just hang-on, eat this sandwich I'm going to make for you. Breath. And then call him.”

A defeated look washed over Eren. “Okay.” He flopped back on the couch and the back of his head knocked against the armrest. “Ow.”

 

Eren ended up eating the sandwich rather quickly for someone who claimed to not be hungry. As soon as he was done he gulped down the rest of the water Armin had brought him and held out his hand.

“Okay I'm good. Can I have my phone back now?”

Armin gave him a scrutinizing look. “Let me see your eyes.”

Eren widened his eyes and leaned in closer to Armin.

“Hm, okay.” He conceded, handing the phone back. “You look mostly normal now.”

Eren hit the 'call' button under Levi's profile and started pacing the living room as it rang. 

Then rang again. 

Rang some more. 

His pacing extended to the hallway and into his room, around the bed – ring- out of his room and then back down the hall -ring-, then the living room again -click-.

His heart jumped.

Then he realized it was just Levi's voicemail picking up: Your call has been forwarded to an automated voice message system…

Should he leave a message? No.

He hung up and hit 'call' again.

Another round of rings and pacing. Armin's eyes following him with empathy.

-click- Your call has been forwarded to an auto-

Damnit!

He hung up. Hit 'call'. He was biting as his lips now. 

-click – Your call has been 

Fuck!

He waited through the whole message this time, nervously tapping his foot. 

-beep-

He opened his mouth to speak and realized he didn't know what to say.

“...Levi, I...please pick up...I'm sorry. I'm an idiot. Just...call me back, please?”

His thumb pressed 'end' and he squinted his eyes in frustration.

God, what a stupid message. 

He collapsed back on the couch next to Armin, looking thoroughly depressed. 

“What do I do Armin?”

“Uh...” Armin hesitated. “You could send him a text? It might be easier, you know, he won't have to commit to a whole conversation right away. He could just respond when he's ready?”

“Yeah, that's a good idea.”

Eren wrote a dozen versions of his message, deleting them and starting over, until he finally decided that he just needed to send something.

Eren: Levi, I don't totally understand what you're dealing with right now...but I want to. I'm sorry I got mad and yelled, and I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it. I know you probably want to be left alone right now, but please call me, when you're ready.

He was unsatisfied with his message, but it was out there, he'd sent it. 

After about twenty minutes of Eren silently staring at his phone, Armin decided to step in.

“Do you want to play a game?” He picked up a controller. “Maybe help pass the time before you have to go to work?”

“But what if he calls, or texts me back?”

“You'll have your phone right next to you so you'll hear it, and we can just stop the game.”

“Fine.”

Armin had never seen Eren so unenthused about playing a game in his life. With every death and story segment in the game he was glancing at his phone, only to be disappointed. 

An hour passed and he tossed the controller onto the coffee table. 

“I don't want to play anymore. You can take over.”

Another hour passed; Eren staring at the TV with zoned-out eyes while Armin continued the game. 

Then out of nowhere Eren curled in on himself and sobbed, “Why did I say that?”.

It was breaking Armin's heart to see Eren like this. He shut the TV off, set the controller down, and put a hand on Eren's back.

“What if he never wants to talk to me again?” 

“He will.” 

Armin wasn't sure if that statement was a lie or the truth. Levi was an enigma, and Armin was still not clear on what had actually transpired between them this morning. But Armin had seen the way Levi looked at Eren, and it made him believe there was something real between the two of them. So he did his best to keep Eren from spiraling into a pit of hopeless misery. 

His best, however, was not enough. 

Eren lay on the couch like a zombie, clutching his phone, which was painfully silent, until it was time for him to leave for work. He only managed to make it to work on-time and in clean clothes because Armin was supervising him. 

 

When Eren arrived at Rose Cafe Hanji greeted him like a firecracker.

“Ereeeen! I guess whaaaat!”

Eren had no response beyond the slightest raise of an eyebrow, mouth still molded in a frown.

“You don't have to guess. I'll just tell you.” She placed her hands on his shoulders and brought her face in close. “I'm buying Rose Cafe from Erwin!”

That came as a bit of a surprise, but still his voice held no excitement when he said, “Oh, uh, that's cool.”

“Don't look so worried! Nothing big will change. He hardly pays attention to this place anyway. I've been trying to get him to let me buy it for years now and he finally caved! Isn't that exciting?!”

“Yeah.” 

Hanji finally tuned in to Eren's lackluster responses and her face turned concerned. 

“Hey sweet pea, are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Eren lied, forced a small smile. “Just had a shitty morning, that's all.”

“Don't you fret, everything is going to be okay, because I'm your boss now.”

“You were already my boss.” He pointed out.

“Well now I'm your boss boss.” Then she clapped her hands and squealed, “Ooo! I gotta tell Levi! He bet me it was never gonna happen. But look who owes who 5 gallons of pickles now!”

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed, then started wandering around the room, too excited to hold still. 

All of Eren's attention was on her phone call. Waiting for…

“Hey shortstack!”

His heartbeat quickened. He had the irrational thought of just grabbing the phone from her, but withheld the urge and was glad he did as her speech continued.

“You know you really need to add a voicemail message, and you should try answering your phone once in a while. You might be missing out on some important things! Namely some very exciting news that I need to tell you, that I don't want to ruin over a message. But let's just say you owe me a 5 gallon bucket of pickles. And I want the good kind, the really crispy ones that you have to keep in the fridge, with dill. Call me!”

So Levi wasn't just ignoring him. He was ignoring everyone. Eren expected that to make him feel a little bit better, but it didn't. In fact, the knot of worry in his stomach just grew.

After her phone call Hanji disappeared from the shop, a dust devil swirling out the door in excitement, quickly saying “I'm your new boss!” as she passed Jean coming in. 

Jean blinked to Eren with confusion. “What does she mean by 'new'?”

Eren briefly explained. 

“Oh wow, that's cool, good for her. Erwin's never here anyway.” Then he really looked at Eren. “Wow man, you look like shit.”

“Yep.” Eren busied himself brewing a new batch of medium roast. 

The lack of attitude from Eren in response to the insult was more surprising to Jean than the fact that Hanji was buying the shop.

“Uh...you okay buddy?” The word 'buddy' was a little forced, but he threw it in anyway.

“Nope.” Eren said it as if he'd said the exact opposite word, never looking at Jean, clipping the bag of grounds closed and putting it back in a cupboard.

“Oh. Okaaay.” Jean put his hands in his apron pocket, awkwardly looked around. “You got something you want to-”

“No.”

Jean remained quiet for a moment, then, “Alright, well, good chat.”

There were no snide remarks passed between them during the shift. Jean was smart enough to see that Eren wasn't in the headspace for jesting, and might actually snap if he pissed him off even a little. The lack of turmoil between them resulted in, not surprisingly, a much smoother evening.

Eren kept his phone in his pocket the whole night, waiting and hoping for the vibration that would signal a response from Levi, even though he knew Levi was stuck at work just like him, probably too busy to even pee let alone begin a serious conversation via text. 

The vibration never came, and as Eren was lost in the repetition of washing dishes after close his mounting anxiety started to surface as bites to his bottom lip and a restless right leg. 

With the money locked away and the lights off, Eren slipped his key in the door and locked it. He shivered at how chilly the night had become.

Jean walked to his car in silence, opened the door, then paused before getting in. 

He cleared his throat. “Uh, Eren.”

“Hm?” Eren put his key in his pocket and turned, expression as dejected and worried as it had been all night. 

“You gonna be okay man?”

His face softened a little at Jean's concern. “Yeah.” He nodded and looked to his feet. “Thanks.”

“Okay, cool. See you tomorrow dumbass.” He got in his car, started the engine and drove away down the small ally and out onto the main road. 

As soon as Jean was out of sight Eren pulled his phone from his pocket and looked at the time. 

1:17 AM

It was later than he expected, but he had been pretty slow at cleaning up, stuck in his head. He was glad that it was after one though. That meant Sina had just closed. Levi was probably still cleaning up, but that didn't stop Eren from sitting on the back steps and hitting the call button, his shadow long and distorted in the motion sensor light. He shivered against the cold again. 

This time there was no waiting, it just went straight to voicemail. Levi's phone was either off or dead. 

Great. 

He worried on his lip some more. Stood up. Paced back and forth in front of the steps. Sat back down and searched the internet for the number to Sina. Luckily there was a separate number for the bar side. Made sense since it was open an hour later than the actual restaurant. This way Erwin was less likely to answer the phone. Though there was still a chance.

The phone rang long enough that Eren thought nobody would answer. They were closed after-all. Just as he was about to hang up the ringing stopped.

“Thank you for calling the Sina bar, this is Petra, how may I help you?”

“Um...” Eren swallowed, was suddenly very nervous. Why was he calling Levi at work like this? Wasn't that too much? “I uh was hoping I could speak to Levi?”

“Oh.” The girl's voice softened into something more friendly. “He's actually not here right now. Sorry.”

“He's not?” The concern and surprise in Eren's voice was obvious.

“No, he called out sick today. Do you want me to take a message for him or...”

“No. That's alright. Uh, thanks.” Eren hung up and shoved his phone in his pocket. 

Now he was really fucking worried. 

About what exactly? He wasn't sure. Didn't want to think about things like Levi being distressed, and alone, and maybe doing something rash. He felt like he knew the raven-haired man well enough to know that something like that would be out of character for him. Still, Levi calling out sick was out of character. Levi had never once called out sick while working at Rose Cafe. 

Eren was halfway to Levi's apartment before he even realized he'd started walking. 

His heart sank as he neared the building, looking up at the corner windows of the top floor which were cold and dark.

Maybe he was sleeping? Unlikely.

Just sitting in the dark? More likely. 

Either way Eren was getting in there. 

He tried the front entry knowing full well that it would be locked, and it was. He went around back, hoping to find a way in somehow. He walked straight to the door, gave it a yank and was met with the clank of another barred entry. 

“Shit!” He cursed under his breath and kicked the door. 

“You need me to let you in man?” 

A voice from the dark startled him and he looked around wildly, eyes eventually landing on the smoker guy he'd seen in front of Levi's building before, leaning against a car in the parking lot, smoke curling around him. 

Eren was about to say yes, but then the rest of the parking lot came into focus and he noticed a distinct lack of motorcycles. 

He suddenly knew where Levi was. 

“Uh, no. Thanks though.” He called over his shoulder as he speed walked around the building and back to the sidewalk. 

 

Eren entered his apartment quietly, grabbed a jacket and Armin's keys, thought for a moment, put the jacket on, keys in his pocket and quickly made two thermoses full of chamomile tea. He was in Armin's car heading out of the city in less than five minutes. 

He shut the radio off and drove in silence, a little faster than he should be, hoping that he wasn't wrong. 

The scent of Autumn crept in through the vents as the altitude increased. Eren weaved higher on the quiet road and the headlights illuminated rust colored leaves getting a head-start on the coming season. 

No cop at the bottom this time. That was good.

He took some deep breaths, a sip of one of the teas, tried to calm himself down a little as he approached the top. A mixture of relief and nervousness washed over him as the car leveled out in the parking lot, beams falling on a familiar motorcycle. 

His eyes darted to the ocean side, the edge and the grass, and landed on the silhouette he was looking for.

Thank god. 

He parked, killed the lights and the engine, mustered up some courage and stepped out into the crisp air, a tea in each hand. 

Levi was sitting cross-legged in the grass and didn't move as Eren approached. He either already knew who it was or didn't care. Maybe both. 

Eren's feet stilled about five feet to Levi's left. The man still didn't move, sharp profile pointing out to the sea, eyes fixed on the distant waves.

The moon was out, bright, glow illuminating Levi's pale skin with a blueish tint.

Eren looked out at the ocean, toed at the grass, looked at Levi. He took deep breath. 

“I...I know you probably want to be alone. But you never responded and I called Sina and they said you didn't come in and I started to get really worried so I went to your place and…” He inhaled, exhaled, tried to slow himself down. “Well, I just wanted to make sure that you're okay. And apologize for getting mad earlier, and for slamming your door, and for...what I said. So, I'm sorry.”

Eren went quiet, waiting for some sort of response, but there was none. 

He bit at his lip again, started to feel real stupid standing there holding two teas. The silence was deafening. 

Another minute passed with no words.

“I'll just go, if that's what you want?” Eren waited a second for an answer either way, but once again Levi didn't speak, his eyes shifting from the ocean to the ground in front of him, but still not to Eren.

Eren's heart sagged. 

He stepped close enough to set a thermos of tea next to Levi. “Here. It's chamomile.” Then turned and walked back towards Armin's car feeling like a piece of garbage. 

His fingers touched the handle when - 

“Eren wait.”

He lowered his arm and turned around. 

“I'm gonna spill my shitty guts to you okay? Just...give me a minute.”

A weight lifted from Eren, and a faint smile actually crept on his lips at Levi's choice of words: shitty guts. Somehow they were proof that Levi was still Levi, and that was so unbelievably comforting right now. Eren hadn't realized until just then that he'd been worried that somehow what had happened earlier – his uncle's death and the note - had permanently altered the man. 

“Are you going to just stand there all weird or come sit down?” 

Levi finally turned to look at him, and in the moonlight Eren could see the apprehension and vulnerability in his galaxy eyes.

With that look the heaviness returned to Eren, the smile dissolved, and suddenly he wasn't so sure he was ready for what he was about to hear.

He walked back over to Levi and settled in next to him on the grass, cross-legged, thermos between his legs. He looked out at the velvet blue waves and waited. 

 

Levi's 'minute' lasted a lot longer than sixty seconds. Long enough that as the silence extended outward like the ocean before them, Eren thought Levi may have changed his mind. Maybe he didn't want to talk after-all. 

Finally, when Eren's tension had mostly eased, and he accepted the silent eternity that awaited him, Levi spoke.

“I've been trying to figure out where to start, and... I guess the beginning would make the most sense.” He met Eren's eyes. “Don't say anything. Just listen. And when I'm finished, if you want to leave, I...I won't stop you.”

Eren nodded. “Okay.”

He could do that. Be quiet, just listen. It's what he wanted more than anything right now. He just wanted to know Levi, know the pieces of his past that fit together to form the man that sat next to him now. The man he'd become totally and completely entranced by. 

“I-” Levi cleared his throat, took I deep a breath and a sip of the chamomile tea Eren had brought him, kept his eyes out on the horizon as he began his tale. 

“I was an only child. Both my parents were alcoholics, drank most of their money away, so...we were pretty poor. My mother was mostly nice, she had her moments when things were too much and then she wasn't, but for the most part she tried to take care of me. My father was abusive, mean.”

Another deep breath, another sip from the tea. 

Eren was already lost in Levi's story and it had just begun.

“He'd kick my ass for any reason, and for no reason. Sometimes he'd use a belt or something, but mostly it was just his hands, his fists. He'd hurt my mom too. They were either fighting or not talking. Most of the time though when he hit her, she was just trying to protect me from him.”

Levi looked over at Eren, deep in his eyes. “This is the answer to the question you asked me before.”

The expression on his face was one of secrets long locked away, secrets that maybe no one had ever heard before. 

Eren responded only with his eyes and his attention as Levi continued, voice low, a little hesitant. 

“When I was seven my best friend in school was a boy named Julien. I think his family was from Norway or something. He had really light hair, almost white, and eyes like the sky. I thought he was beautiful. We hung out at school mostly, during recess, or over at his house. I didn't like having him over at my house, because his family was nice, and I didn't want him to see what mine was like.”

His eyes were looking outward, but were focused inward, on images of the past. 

“One day though, we were playing in my backyard after school. Some stupid game that we made up, I can't really remember what it was, but we were having fun. And...I'm not really sure how it happened, but we kissed. Not a real kiss.” 

“It was the way kids kiss.” He turned to Eren, meeting his enraptured attention. “You know, fast and light, barely even touching.” 

He looked away again, back out at the waves. A cool breeze rustled the grass and he shivered.

“But, my dad was watching through the kitchen window when it happened. He came out, pushed Julien to the ground, grabbed me by the back of my shirt and drug me towards the house. He was yelling at Julien, told him that if he ever came near me again he'd 'cut his tiny dick off'. Julien ran home, and my dad took me inside and beat the shit out me. 

“It was worse than usual, lasted longer. He said a lot of shitty things, like that I was a mistake, a waste of money. How no son of his was going to be some fucking faggot. My mom was at work, so she wasn't there to step in.

“I didn't go to school for the next week because I was 'sick'. I was 'sick' a lot.”

He looked down and paused for a minute, plucked a long strand of grass and started fidgeting with it. 

“When the bruises had faded enough that I could go back to school, I tried talking to Julien. I was a pretty quiet kid, and he was the only person I really considered to be a friend. He wouldn't talk to me. Wouldn't even look at me. And of course he wouldn't, not after the way my dad threatened him.” 

He picked a second piece of grass, stared through the strands as his fingers twirled them. 

“I was so angry. I'd never been so mad at my dad before. I was used to him ruining my home life, that was all I knew, but at school with the other kids, that was my sanctuary. It was supposed to be untouchable. 

“Both my parents were gone when I got home that day. I went straight to the cabinet where my dad hid his good whiskey – the expensive kind that came in the glass bottle, the kind he saved for when he was in a good mood, or...when he was in a particularly shit mood. 

“I uncorked it and poured the whole thing down the kitchen sink before I really understood what I was actually doing. And once it was gone, and I was standing there with that empty glass bottle in my hand, it started to sink in.

“I'd fucked up.” He met Eren's eyes for a second, then stared back at the grass in his hand. 

“He was going to lose his shit when he found out. I panicked. Walked to the neighbors house, hid the bottle in the trash bin under a bunch of shit, and hoped to god that whenever he decided to bring out the bottle next he'd just think he'd drank it all and forgot to replace it. I think I knew though...really, that I was fucked. 

“I hid in my room after that, tried not to exist. But later when they were both home I heard yelling from the kitchen, glass breaking, so I cracked the door and listened. He was yelling about his shit day, demanding to know what happened to his good whiskey. My mom knew it was me, but she was trying to take the heat for me, told him that she'd accidentally broken it. Told him that she was sorry. 

“Sorry never meant anything to him. 

“I stood there, listening to him hurt her and yell at her until I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't let her take the blame for something I'd done. I was so fucking scared, but angry too, so angry at him...for everything.”

Levi trailed off and silence prevailed, buffered by the rustling grass, the distant crash of waves on rock, almost too faint to hear. He closed his eyes for a moment, crease defined between his brow, reopened them and went on.

“I left my room, went into the kitchen and told him that it was me, that I poured his whiskey down the drain. He let my mom go, turned to me, asked me why. My mom gave me this look, shook her head at me. But I couldn't let him hit her anymore, so I yelled at him, the only time I ever had the nerve to. 

 

_“Because I fucking hate you!” Levi screamed. Years of anguish bubbled to the surface, sending tears down his cheeks. He said it again, with more defiance this time. “I. Hate. You.”_

_His father's response to those words was beyond rage. Levi knew as he said them that they were his death sentence, but he couldn't keep doing this. He would rather die than listen to his mother cry to herself one more time, would rather die than endure one more beating that meant he'd be 'sick' for school._

_It was a sharp pain to the side of his face first, making his vision fade, followed by the wind getting knocked out of him as his back and head hit the wall. He tried to recover, took a gulp of air, but that was all he got, just the one breath before his father's large hands closed around his throat._

_He tried to say something -stop? help?- anything, but no sound came out. He was frantically clawing at his father's arms, trying to push him away, kicking his legs, but it made no difference to the tightness around his throat, only deepened the malice in the face before him._

_Levi saw his mother's back as she left the room._

_This was it._

_Even she couldn't help him this time._

_There was an unfitting calmness in his mind, one that accepted his fate, but his mind had no control over his body. His arms continued to struggle, nails digging into the skin on his father's hands as he desperately fought for his life._

_He knew his eyes were still open, but he couldn't see anymore. The world had gone white. The feeling in his limbs flickered and he couldn't tell if he was moving them anymore. He was on the brink, so close to slipping into oblivion when he hit the floor with a loud 'bang!'._

_No._

_That wasn't the sound of him hitting the floor. That was the sound of…_

_His lungs expanded drawing in life. He wanted to touch his neck, push himself up, but his muscles wouldn't move._

_He blinked the kitchen back into view just in time to see; his father, motionless on the floor in front of him, his mother standing before them, arms outstretched, gun in hand._

_She was trembling, tears gushing down her cheeks as she collapsed to her knees and sobbed, raised the gun to point at her temple. Her eyelids blinked shut, lips quivering._

_Levi's eyes went wide._

_Finally he got his arm to move, reached out toward her._

_“No!” His mouth formed the word but the sound never materialized. Forever unsaid._

_His mother spoke then, and he read the words more than heard them._

_“I'm so sorry sweetie.”_

_She pulled the trigger. ___

__

__“I don't remember much after that. A lot of blood. Police. I think I may have been in a hospital for a while.”_ _

__Levi blinked a few times, eyes seeming to focus back on the reality around them. He took another drink of the tea._ _

__Eren was dumbfounded. There were so many things he wanted to say, but even if Levi hadn't forbade him from speaking, he wouldn't have been able to articulate any of them._ _

__“After that there were a lot of adults in suits that I didn't know, asking me questions with pity in their eyes. They wanted to know about my family. I told them my family was dead now. They wanted to know about any other family I might have, someone who could take care of me. I told them I didn't have any other family. But I guess I did, an uncle, named Kenny.”_ _

__

__Kenny._ _

__Eren remembered what the man at the door had said; 'He passed away in the penitentiary early yesterday morning.' He didn't think anything could be worse than what Levi had just told him, but the way Levi continued on made Eren think it was just the beginning._ _

__

__“The court decided that Kenny would take custody of me. He was...better than my dad in some ways, but also worse in other ways. He was abusive and mean like my dad. The difference was he actually thought he was helping me. And I guess...that in some fucked up way maybe he did._ _

__“I didn't go to school when I was with Kenny. He was obsessed with teaching me how to fight. Told me it was the only way my scrawny ass was going to make it. At first I thought he just wanted me to be able to defend myself, but that wasn't it. He wanted me to make money for him."_ _

__Levi turned to Eren and explained._ _

__“In the Dark District there are people, really terrible people, who run child fighting rings, where they make bets on who's going to win. Like dog fights, but they'd stop it before anyone got killed, usually. Anyway, Kenny wanted me to make money for him in the rings. He trained me for a while, then put me in a fight.”_ _

__A breath._ _

__“And I sucked shit. It was like my dad beating me all over again, and...I'd just freeze up. I lost two fights like that before Kenny decided he was going to train me in a different way.”_ _

__He paused to think. Right hand absently trailing over the back of his neck._ _

__“He said my problem was that I was afraid of pain. Hell, who isn't afraid of pain? He said that he could train the fear out of me. If I got used to pain, then maybe I wouldn't lose anymore fights, lose anymore of his money._ _

__“More like if I was more afraid of what he was going to do to me than what my opponents would do to me, then maybe I'd try harder. It was a mental game really._ _

__“It was about a week after the second fight that I lost. I hadn't seen Kenny for a couple days, so I'd been hanging around with some kids that lived nearby, mooching food from them. Eventually I went back to the house and he was there, waiting for me._ _

__“He had a roll of duct tape in one hand, his knife in the other, and the craziest fucking look in his eyes._ _

__“I didn't know what he was going to do, but I knew that whatever it was, it wasn't good. So I tried to run, but he caught my arm before I could get out the door.”_ _

__Surprising Eren, Levi actually pulled off his jacket, then slipped his shirt over his head, exposing his naked torso, muscles shadowed in the moonlight, skin pale. He turned away from Eren, giving the brunette a better view of all the lines that crossed his back._ _

__Eren's breath caught in his throat, seeing the scars now in a new context. His hand itched to reach out to Levi, erase the marks with tender strokes of his fingers._ _

__But he didn't._ _

__It wasn't the right thing to do, not at this moment. In this moment Levi's body, his back, his skin, were only his own, a map of the ugly truths in his past._ _

__“He did this to me every time I lost a fight. He threatened the people in the neighborhood too, so I had nowhere to run to, no food unless I went back to him.”_ _

__Levi shivered in the cool night air, nipples tight, goosebumps surfacing on his arms. He slipped his shirt back on, followed by his jacket, then a sip of the tea. His eyes settled on the dark waves again._ _

__“I lost exactly three fights after that._ _

__“Then I really started to figure things out. Where to strike, how to use my height to my advantage, how to disconnect from the fact that I was hurting other people. I got really good, so good that Kenny moved me from the child fights into adult fighting rings where he could make more money._ _

__“And then one day he just disappeared._ _

__“I kept fighting for a little while, so I could make enough to eat. But about a month after he left I got caught stealing just outside the district and the cops picked me up, found out my so-called legal guardian had abandoned me, and that's how I landed in the system, in foster care.”_ _

__He looked at Eren then._ _

__“Like you said before, it sucked, but I didn't have to fight for food anymore. I still got into a lot of shit though, had 'behavioral issues', and so I didn't stay with any one family for very long. Nothing and no one mattered to me for a long time._ _

__Levi rested his elbows on his knees then, dropped his head, hands in his hair, and muttered, “Would've been better if it stayed that way.”_ _

__He remained in that position for only a minute or two, but it felt longer, and Eren wasn't sure what to do. Should he speak now? Touch Levi? Was there more?_ _

__Then Levi sat back up and continued his story._ _

__“Just before I turned seventeen I was temporarily placed with a family that helped transition kids between homes. So there were always kids in and out of that house. That's where I met Isabelle and Farlan._ _

__“I don't know why, but something was different about them. We were like pieces of a puzzle that just fit together. It didn't take much time before we were inseparable. We were in that house for only a couple months between school years. But it was like time stopped that summer, and we forgot that soon we'd be broken up into different homes. I think that maybe...I might have felt something like happiness then._ _

__“By the end of summer though they found a family to place Izzy with. She refused to go unless Farlan and I could come too, told them we were her brothers. Of course they knew that wasn't true. Izzy lied all time. That's what had been underlined in her file: _Pathological Liar _. We'd all come from fucked up situations, and that was her way of coping.___ _

____“Somehow they managed to convince the family to take all three of us. It was an older couple actually, their youngest son had just moved out to some university. Big house with extra rooms._ _ _ _

____“Sounds great right?” He glanced to Eren. “Just the three of us, no real children to remind us of how unwanted we actually were. The couple seemed nice enough at first. But it was all fucking bullshit, just like everything else.”_ _ _ _

____An anger flaired in Levi's eyes and his voice took on a violent tone._ _ _ _

____“That son-of-a-bitch raped Izzy._ _ _ _

____“I found her crying behind the school one day and she told me everything. It was too late for a rape kit, she'd been keeping it a secret for a while. I convinced her that we needed to report it to our councilors, that we couldn't let him get away with it, that we couldn't stay there._ _ _ _

____“She was afraid they were going to split us all up. And…so was I._ _ _ _

____“We went straight to the counseling office from school. They took her aside separately, wouldn't let me in the room. And you know what?”_ _ _ _

____He looked to Eren and there was so much emotion in his eyes._ _ _ _

____“They didn't fucking believe her._ _ _ _

____“She was a 'pathological liar' remember? They thought she was making it up for attention, told her if she wanted to change families she could, but to stop trying to slander her caretakers._ _ _ _

____“I told Izzy and Farlan to find a friend to stay with for the night, go have a sleepover or something…_ _ _ _

____“And I burnt that mother-fucker's house to the ground.”_ _ _ _

____Their eyes met. Levi ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back out of his face, looked away._ _ _ _

____“I made sure his wife wasn't home. I don't know if she knew what kind of monster her husband was. In the end he was fine, but the house was ash._ _ _ _

____“They knew it was me._ _ _ _

____“There were a lot of things underlined in my file, but one of them was: _Pyromaniac Tendencies _. The lighter in my backpack and a video from a neighbor's security camera that I didn't know about were enough to charge me.___ _ _ _

______“They had no proof that it was done maliciously though. I told them I was just messing around in the backyard, that it was an accident. So I got charged with Juvenile Arson and sent to juvie for six months. I got really lucky actually, considering how old I was, and my record._ _ _ _ _ _

______“When I got out, I got lucky again and ended up in the same group home that Izzy and Farlan had been moved to. But we only had a few more months before I turned eighteen. I was a lost cause to the system. I didn't get any help from them, so I went back to what I knew for money._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Then I met Lou, the owner of that club, The Underground, remember?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Eren nodded._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well, maybe you could tell, but he runs his own part of the district, has a pretty wide turf. He saw me in the fights and decided to take me on as his enforcer. Basically I went around collecting what he was owed, from people who had no intention of paying up._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I hurt people Eren, a lot of people. Maybe even killed some...I'm not really sure...”_ _ _ _ _ _

______There was no boast in Levi's eyes or tone, quite the opposite, there was an aura of anguish about him._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Most of them deserved it, were real shit human beings, like those guys who roofied your drink. But there were some...who probably just got unlucky._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I managed to scrape enough money together so that when Farlan and Izzy aged out we had our own place. Just us three. It was like the size of a fucking closet...but it was our home, something none of us had really had before.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Levi went quiet again, covered his eyes with his hand and pinched at his brow. Eren could see that he was biting at his lip ring._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I wish...” Levi's voice was quiet as spoke again. “I wish that's where the story ended, but it's not.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Eren didn't know what was coming next, but he too wished -for Levi's sake- that the story ended there. How could one person go through so much?_ _ _ _ _ _

______“The Dark District is an ugly place, with ugly things, things that help you forget. Izzy started using first, and though I didn't like the idea, I couldn't bring myself to deny her the only that gave her release. Aaaand...I was an idiot. After a while I got curious, wanted to know what the appeal was._ _ _ _ _ _

______“In the end we were all using. Izzy and Farlan a lot more than me. I couldn't be fucked up all the time, not when Lou was sending me out on jobs._ _ _ _ _ _

______“One day after finishing a job, I ran into Kenny. Well, more like he was waiting for me. Turns out he was heading a rival operation in the west part of the district. Wanted me to come work for him._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I said no._ _ _ _ _ _

______“He said it was my obligation to him as family._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I told him he wasn't my family. Told him to go fuck himself._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I always got our drugs through Lou. He knew the guys with the cleanest shit, and he'd usually cut me a deal on it when he was paying me out._ _ _ _ _ _

______“The last job that I did for Lou took a lot longer than expected though - the guy I was going after got tipped off that Lou was sending someone to collect, and he decided to skip town. The job would've taken only a couple of hours, but instead it took me almost two days to track the fucker down._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I guess...two days was too long for Izzy and Farlan to wait. I never told them about Kenny, didn't want them to get caught up in his bullshit. I should have. I should have warned them about him. It was stupid of me not to, I know that now._ _ _ _ _ _

______“While I was gone Kenny came by our place, practically gave them a bag for free. He'd laced it. With what I'm not totally sure, probably fentanyl._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I don't know...if it was meant for them, or for me, or both._ _ _ _ _ _

______“When I got home their lips were already blue. I couldn't – there wasn't any -”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Levi pressed his lips together, jaw tense. He brought his hands up to rub over his eyes and Eren saw a tear streak down his left cheek, reflecting the moonlight._ _ _ _ _ _

______Eren realized then that he had his own tears, pushing their way out of the corners of his eyes._ _ _ _ _ _

______Levi sat like that for a long time, unmoving except for the motion from his shaky breaths, quiet sniffs._ _ _ _ _ _

______Eventually he seemed to lock his emotions down, and when he finally took his hand from his face and lifted his head, the practiced placidity returning to his features was almost unnerving._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I tried to kill Kenny after that._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I followed him one night and waited until he was alone._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I had my knife. He had his._ _ _ _ _ _

______“He probably had more skill, but I had more rage._ _ _ _ _ _

______“It was the hardest fight I've ever been in, and there were a couple times when I came close to losing.” He snorted a bitter laugh. “But I'd already lost, everything, so what did I care.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I ended up knocking him to the ground, put my knee to his neck, and put my knife in his stomach._ _ _ _ _ _

______“And then...there was this moment. This sort of clarity that hit me. And I realized...that I was just stabbing a future version of myself. I realized that if I didn't change something, everything, that I was going to become someone that I hated...probably already had._ _ _ _ _ _

______“So I pulled my knife out and walked away._ _ _ _ _ _

______“He said I was a coward. I said goodbye, not just to him, but to the whole thing, my whole shitty life up until that moment._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I left the district that night. Told Lou I wasn't going to work for him anymore. I was surprised that he wasn't mad. Instead he wished me luck, actually gave me a little money to help me start over. Told me he was sorry for what had happened.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______The soft noises of the night took over, the chill in the air deepening._ _ _ _ _ _

______Levi was composed now, had his walls back in place, though he couldn't hide the slight reddish tint lining his lashes. He was quiet for a few moments, hadn't looked at Eren since he'd started talking about Izzy and Farlan._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well that's my shitty life story. I know, I'm pretty fucked up, so… you can leave now if that's what you want. Delete my number or whatever, I get it.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______He still wouldn't turn to look at Eren, kept his eyes on the grass in front of him, too afraid of what kind of expression he might be faced with. A moment passed with no response, and then Eren stood up and walked out of Levi's peripheral vision._ _ _ _ _ _

______So that was it._ _ _ _ _ _

______Levi pretended like Eren's shoes stepping away from him wasn't breaking his insides into pieces. What had he expected really? Some unrealistic fucking fairytale?_ _ _ _ _ _

______He only heard the sound of a couple steps however before they stopped._ _ _ _ _ _

______The next thing he knew Eren's long slender arms ensnared him from behind, the brunette's legs slid next to his, and his chest pressed into Levi's back, squeezing the life out of him._ _ _ _ _ _

______The air was actually pushed out of Levi's lungs with how hard he was being hugged from behind. He was stunned, unable to really process what was happening._ _ _ _ _ _

______Then he heard the unmistakable sniffling that accompanies tears._ _ _ _ _ _

______Finally he dared to look. He turned his head to the side and met Eren's green eyes, swimming with tears that spilled down his cheeks with each blink._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You're crying...” Levi whispered._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Of course I'm crying.” It was a mixture of a laugh and a sob. “Are you kidding? I'm not going anywhere! Delete your number?! I'm going to tattoo it on my fucking chest!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Levi's immediate response was, “That would be a really stupid tattoo.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Eren sniffed a laugh. “Yeah, you're right, you probably won't have the same number forever. So, I guess I'll just have to leave room underneath for all your future phone numbers and just have them cross out the old ones when they tattoo the new ones.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______That brought a snort from Levi, and it was the single most beautiful sound to Eren at that moment._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You're such a dork.” He could barely get the words out as Eren crushed his ribs again._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I know.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Levi soaked in the warmth of Eren's closeness, wondered if this was one if his nightmares that just happened to turn into a fantasy, but Eren's arms were solid, real. The smell of coffee on him left over from his shift was real. The sound of the waves far away, the cool breeze that gave him goosebumps, the taste of chamomile on his tongue, and the way he could feel Eren's heart beating against him, all real._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You're really not going to leave?” It was almost a whisper._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Never. Promise.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Every rational fiber inside of Levi was telling him that couldn't be true, but he let himself believe it, and brought his arms up to wrap over Eren's. God, he'd never been so afraid of something so perfect._ _ _ _ _ _

______“There is one more thing I want to know.” Eren spoke softly._ _ _ _ _ _

______He'd told him everything, spilled it all. Levi looked over his shoulder. “What?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Eren blinked a couple times, then looked down to Levi's feet. “How come you wear your socks inside-out?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Levi cocked an eyebrow and his lip twitched in amusement. “Really? That's your question?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah.” Eren finally loosened his grip on Levi and shrugged, wiped away the tears that still lingered on his lashes. “Well, I mean you're such a perfectionist about everything, I just think it's kind of weird that you'd wear something inside-out. At first I thought it was a total fluke, like maybe you were in a hurry that day or something, but nope. You always wear them inside-out. I even watched you turn them inside out on purpose one time.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I can see you've really thought about this.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Eren nodded. “So, how come?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Levi regarded Eren for a moment, that sly look surfacing in his silver eyes, glad to be moving away from heavier things._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well, I think the answer to that question would be none of your fucking business.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Whaaat?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I have to have some secrets.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“But...that's...come on.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Eren had obviously been mulling this tiny detail over for some time, trying to dissect Levi's reasoning behind it._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I might tell you one day, if you're good.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Wow.” Eren wore look of mock offense. “And here I thought you were actually opening up to me.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Eren got an elbow to the ribs for that. And a “Shut the fuck up.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______But he also got a small smile, a smile that was worth a thousand more bony elbows to his ribs._ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, this is where I talk about the music that inspired me while writing this chapter. I listened to a lot of sad instrumental music. Mostly the Clint Mansell radio on Pandora where I thumbs uped every song that was heartbreaking until it was only playing songs that made me want to cry.
> 
> There is one song that is the absolute theme song for Levi in this chapter, and it happens to be a song from my all-time favorite band's newest album that they just released:
> 
> Thrice - My Soul (read the lyrics)  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4pb3IpfRgc

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! I would love to hear any feedback you have for me!


End file.
